Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The day he met Anakin Skywalker was the day Obi-Wan's life changed forever—not that he would know it.

"Hi. I'm Anakin." A nine-year-old boy with sandy blond hair looked up at Obi-Wan. Despite his short stature, he stood tall and proud, not even hiding behind Qui-Gon.

"Hello, Anakin." Obi-Wan kneeled down to Anakin's level and held out his hand. "My name's Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Anakin took the hand and shook it firmly. The boy's fringe just barely brushed his eyes, and it was distracting enough that Obi-Wan nearly missed the dark eye bags. The boy wore clean but well-worn clothes, including an oversized t-shirt that was likely bought with the intention that the boy would grow into it.

A large, calloused hand leaned down and landed on the boy's thin shoulder. "Anakin, why don't you go get settled in?" Qui-Gon suggested in a soft voice. When Anakin spun around to look at him, Qui-Gon smiled. "You get your own room."

"Ok!" Anakin jumped high in excitement and snatched up a large rucksack, a school bag that was just as worn as his clothes. He ran up the wooden stairs with quick feet, faster than Obi-Wan had seen children the same age run away from Master Plo Koon during games of tag at the temple. That was an impressive feat, indeed.

"It's the one with the white door!" Qui-Gon called after him, laughing when he heard an amazed 'wooow!' echo from the upper floor of the house. "I have a feeling he's going to be particularly energetic."

Obi-Wan looked away from the staircase. "He's younger than I was when you took me in."

"That he is." Qui-Gon lowered his head, making his long hair fall over his shoulders. "But he's the child who they were desperately trying to find a placement for, so I figured I'd be a good fit."

A dark feeling swirled in Obi-Wan's chest. "Is this the…"

"Complicated case?" Qui-Gon's smile faded completely, and his eyes met Obi-Wan's in a serious gaze. "Yes. I just recently received his full file, and it's even worse than we originally believed."

Obi-Wan sighed, but then a smile stretched across his face. "If that's the case, then I'm sure you're the best person for the job."

Qui-Gon chuckled. "Let us hope. I originally wanted to foster again because you're getting busier with the Order, but now it may be because the boy truly needs me."

"And it's not a way to tell yourself you're not getting old?" Obi-Wan asked, and promptly had to dodge Qui-Gon's swipe towards the back of Obi-Wan's head. "I'm off to work."

Qui-Gon nodded as Obi-Wan grabbed his bag. "You're invited to dinner any time this week. I think it will do Anakin some good to get to know you."

"At this rate, I'll start believing you wished I never moved out." Obi-Wan had left the house soon after becoming a full Jedi, and he'd only stopped by Qui-Gon's for a quick chat.

"You come over so much that I'm not sure you ever did move out," Qui-Gon retorted, and yeah, maybe Obi-Wan did have a habit of stopping by quite a bit.

"I'll try to make it," Obi-Wan said. "But Master Yoda might have an assignment for me." As peacekeepers, the Jedi were often called out to deal with affairs around the world, and Master Yoda's tone sounded serious the last time Obi-Wan had spoken to him.

"Your first solo assignment." Qui-Gon looked down at Obi-Wan with a soft gaze, one that Obi-Wan had learned to associate with pride coming from his former Master. "If you do get assigned, just be sure to let me know. I have the utmost faith that whatever it is, you will excel in it."

"Let us hope so." Obi-Wan really had to get going, so he went to the door. "Bye, Da," he called out behind him.

If Obi-Wan knew how many times he would remember that moment, he might have stayed longer. But he did not, so he went out that door, not knowing what nightmare would follow.

It was supposed to be a simple mission, one the Council could happily assign to an experienced Jedi who had recently taken on a new foster child. But things had gone south fast, Obi-Wan was taken out of his own mission to assist, and now he found himself kneeling in front of the only man who had ever felt like a father to him.

"No, please, no!" Obi-Wan cried. But even as he pushed down his tunic on Qui-Gon's wound, the blood kept coming.

The Sith that Qui-Gon had been ordered to subdue had long since fallen off of the cliff they were on, lost to the swirling waves of the ocean beyond. He had wounded Qui-Gon, and he had rigged explosives inside his hideout, which had disoriented Obi-Wan long enough to only catch the moment that the Sith had plunged his saber into Qui-Gon's chest. Obi-Wan only half-remembered what happened after, and all he could think of in that moment was how warm Qui-Gon's blood felt beneath his hands.

"Obi-wan," Qui-Gon croaked, placing one of his hands on top of Obi-Wan's. His face was growing paler by the minute, and their reinforcements still hadn't arrived.

"You can't die!" Obi-Wan yelled over the sounds of crashing waves.

"I fear… I fear it is too late for that." Qui-Gon's breath shuddered, and his eyes found Obi-Wan's. "Anakin."

Obi-Wan knew exactly what Qui-Gon was trying to tell him. Ever since Obi-Wan had arrived to assist, all Qui-Gon could talk about was the young boy. Obi-Wan had originally felt a bit jealous, but there was no more time for those feelings. Not now. "I'll look after him. I promise."

"Thank you." Qui-Gon gripped Obi-Wan's wrist and pulled it away from the wound. "Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan blinked away the tears. "Yes, Da?"

Qui-Gon grimaced, and his mouth wobbled as he tried to get the words out. But he did, and Obi-Wan hung onto every word. "It was… an honor… to raise you…" he whispered.

Holding back a sob, Obi-Wan removed his hands from the wound and gripped Qui-Gon's hand. "It is an honor to be your son," he said, hoping it could convey every bit of love he had for the man.

And even as he died, Qui-Gon held Obi-Wan's gaze steady. "Take care… of…"

His grip slackened in Obi-Wan's hands.

Like a candle being snuffed out, the light in Qui-Gon's eyes blew away in an instant, and Obi-Wan crumpled to the ground beside him. He held the lifeless hand close to his chest, and he wept until there were no more tears left to shed.

"What's gonna happen to me?" Anakin asked. His voice was small as he stared at the pyre, Qui-Gon's body slowly being consumed by the flames surrounding it. "Am I gonna get taken away again?"

Obi-Wan forced himself to look away from his father's body. He looked down at Anakin, just nine years old and looking as if he'd felt all the sadness in the world. His eyes now seemed permanently red from crying so much, and Obi-Wan felt hopelessly unequipped for what he was supposed to do.

But he made a promise; a promise he was going to keep.

"No, you won't." Anakin's head shot up at the sound of Obi-Wan's voice. "I told Qui-Gon I would look after you. You're not going anywhere, Anakin. And I promise you, I will never send you away."

Anakin looked away. After a moment, he reached up and curled a hand around Obi-Wan's robes.

Obi-Wan let the boy's hand stay, and together they watched Qui-Gon's body disappear into ashes.

For the sixth time in a single month, Obi-Wan hovered over Anakin's bed, shaking the trembling boy beneath his hand.

"Anakin! Anakin!" He called out, but the boy kept thrashing, lost in whatever dream plagued him.

In desperation, Obi-Wan gripped both of Anakin's shoulders firmly. He pressed down on them, and when Anakin was forced to take a breath between his cries, Obi-Wan yelled, "Anakin!"

Anakin woke up with a start. His eyes scanned Obi-Wan's face, the room around him, and then Obi-Wan once more. He was still trembling beneath Obi-Wan's hands, but he was no longer crying out.

"You were having another nightmare," Obi-Wan said, trying his best to keep his voice calm and level-headed. "You're alright now, Anakin," he added, hoping it would do something. "You're alright now."

Unfortunately, that something was not what Obi-Wan wanted. "Sorry," Anakin whispered, sitting up in his bed and pulling his knees to his chest. Before his death, Qui-Gon had ensured that Anakin had night clothes that actually fit him, but with Anakin shivering in a little ball, it almost looked like he was trying to get swallowed up by the fabric.

"You don't need to apologize, Anakin." When Anakin didn't respond, Obi-Wan sighed. "Would you like to come downstairs for something?"

To Obi-Wan's relief, Anakin nodded. Together, the two of them went down the stairs of Qui-Gon's house.

My house, Obi-Wan reminded himself as he shuffled around the dim pantry. Instead of making Anakin move into his tiny apartment, Obi-Wan had ended his lease early and moved back into Qui-Gon's home. It was strange walking these hallways without him. Every now and then, Obi-Wan could imagine Qui-Gon popping his head out of the living room, asking Obi-Wan what he was up to and if he was doing alright with exams. They had only moved into this house a year or two before Obi-Wan started university, but it was still the closest thing Obi-Wan had to a childhood home.

And that's probably why, even though Obi-Wan was barely conscious of what he was doing, he was heating up tattie scones! Of all things!

Before he could mentally berate himself for not knowing if Anakin even liked them, Obi-Wan slid a plate of scones over the kitchen island toward Anakin. The boy took a moment to look over the circular treat. "They're a Scottish dish. Just potatoes and flour. You've probably never had them, but—"

Without any more words, Anakin took a big bite out of the scone. Obi-Wan held his breath as Anakin chewed, his face unreadable as he tried the scone. After finishing, Anakin went in for another bite. Then another. Then another. And when he was done with the first scone, he reached over for a second.

Obi-Wan chuckled to himself in relief. He bit into his own scone, savoring the familiar taste of potato and butter. It wasn't the healthiest thing to give a child, but not many children had nightmares as bad as Anakin's.

They ate in silence for a while, and when Obi-Wan finished his scone, he spoke up to break it. "When I was—"

Obi-Wan choked on his own voice. Anakin raised his head, and knowing that there was a child looking up at him was the only thing that made Obi-Wan start speaking again. "When I had nightmares, Da used to make this for me. Even if it was the middle of the night and he had to leave early in the morning, he'd come down and make this."

Anakin just nodded and looked down at his empty plate. "He was nice," he said.

Obi-Wan smiled. "He was."

"What else did he do?" Anakin asked, brushing his hair out of his eyes. Honestly, Obi-Wan really needed to get him to a barbershop.

"He'd get me to talk about it. You know the temple where I work? Qui-Gon told me he took you a couple of times."

Anakin's eyes lit up, and a beaming smile spread across his face. "The big temple? The one with the swords and the weird robes?"

"Precisely that one. Though I wouldn't recommend you say that in front of Master Windu. He's very strict when it comes to respecting the Order."

"He's kind of scary. But Master Yoda showed me a trick! When he's looking angry, you just stare at his bald head!"

Obi-Wan laughed. "Yes, I suppose that does make him less frightening," he said, filing away that mental note for the next time he saw his colleague. "Beyond the standard sword training and fighting curricula, we're a peace-keeping force. But only for those who have shown enough dedication to join. We work outside any governmental organization, and we go wherever anyone needs help. That's why we teach multiple skills at the temple—not just fighting."

"But fighting's the coolest bit!"

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Yes, I suppose so."

A strange expression crossed over Anakin's face, and the boy furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "You call Qui-Gon 'Da', but Master Yoda said you called him 'Master' at the temple. Why?"

"Because he was my master." Obi-Wan's tone turned wistful at the memory. "He was a teacher back at the academy branch in Scotland, and I'd been unwillingly signed up for classes there."

Anakin's mouth dropped open. "You got signed up? By someone else?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Believe it or not, I used to have my fair share of a temper when I was young."

"That's hard to believe," Anakin said.

"But it's true. The family I was staying with thought it would be a good way to release my anger. Soon enough, I was Qui-Gon's direct apprentice. He knew of my situation, and a few years later, when he had to move back to England, he took me with him. I was thirteen years old."

That explanation didn't seem to help, because Anakin looked even more confused. "I thought Qui-Gon was your dad."

"He was. In every way that mattered." Obi-Wan took a deep breath. "I was like you, Anakin. I didn't have my parents or any family to speak of, but then Da found me and took me in."

Anakin licked his lips and looked down at his lap. "But I have a mom," he said in a small voice. "They just haven't found her yet."

Obi-Wan walked around the kitchen island until he was standing right next to Anakin. "I know," he said.

"I miss them," Anakin choked out, and Obi-Wan's heart broke at the sight of fresh tears falling down the child's face.

Obi-Wan placed a hand on top of Anakin's head. "… I know."

The next morning, Obi-Wan woke up to gleaming sunlight spilling in through a gap in the curtains. Well, the gleaming sunlight and Anakin subconsciously kicking him in the shins.

Obi-Wan looked over at the child next to him. He had thrown half of the bed's sheets onto the floor, and he was in a position that looked very uncomfortable to Obi-Wan, and yet, Anakin looked like he was dreaming peacefully.

It was only a few moments later that Anakin opened his bleary eyes. He blinked a couple of times, quickly raising a hand to block out the incoming sunlight.

"Morning," Obi-Wan said. Anakin looked up at him before turning around and pressing his face into the pillow beneath him. Obi-Wan laughed. Anakin, despite his young age, seemed to be adverse to early mornings.

"Did you used to do this with your dad?" Anakin asked suddenly. His voice was muffled by Obi-Wan's pillow, but it was understandable enough.

"I was a bit older than you when he took me in, so no," Obi-Wan said. Part of him wanted to reach out to Anakin again, but thinking it might be seen as intrusive, he kept the instinct suppressed, instead merely waiting for Anakin to respond.

"Did Qui-Gon like training at the temple?" Anakin asked. He pulled his head up out of the pillow and looked Obi-Wan in the eye.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said honestly. "He did."

"Do you like it?"

Obi-Wan thought through his response. "Yes, I do. It's trying work, and… sometimes it is dangerous, but it's rewarding, all the same. We help people. We are a peacekeeping force, and I am proud to serve within its ranks. Wherever they may need me."

Anakin jumped into a seated position. "Can I try?" He asked, bouncing slightly as he spoke.

Obi-Wan shrugged, but even he had to smile at Anakin's earnestness. "I don't see why not. You might like it even more than I do."

"Woohoo!" Anakin yelled. With a great push, he threw himself up into the air and landed back on the bed with a heavy thump. He laughed with glee at the fun of it all, but that laughter was quickly stopped by a loud rumble coming from the boy's stomach.

"Hungry, are we?" Obi-Wan smirked and pulled himself out of bed. "Come on. Let's get you some breakfast."

Anakin hopped off the bed and followed Obi-Wan to the kitchen. "Can we have the weird pancakes from last night?" He asked.

"They're called tattie scones. And if I hear you call them 'pancakes' one more time, I'll tell Master Windu you think he's scary."

"Hey, no fair!"

"You're not really like a dad," Anakin said.

Obi-Wan glanced at the mirror to look at Anakin in the backseat. "What brought this on?"

"Master Luminara said you were like my dad, but you're not really a dad."

Obi-Wan watched Anakin through the rearview mirror as the boy looked over his newest practice sword, a long saber made out of dark wood. Obi-Wan had just returned on a mission for the Order, and after hearing from Master Luminara that Anakin had been on good behavior, at least, for the most part, Obi-Wan decided that Anakin deserved a reward. And he had to admit, any child who managed to survive getting babysat by Luminara deserves some praise.

It had been just over a year since Anakin had come to live with Obi-Wan, since Obi-Wan had claimed the house that used to be Qui-Gon's, and the two of them had fallen into a rhythm. Work for Obi-Wan, school for Anakin, and training for them both. Fortunately for Obi-Wan, once Anakin had realized that the temple trained the Jedi he had heard about on television so much growing up, Anakin practically lived at the temple as much as Obi-Wan did. And Anakin loved it all. Saber training, forms training, and despite being a ten-year-old child, he even tried to meditate! It was good exercise for the boy, and it kept him busy. Honestly, that was all Obi-Wan needed, but in the end, this training seemed to be doing more good than Obi-Wan could have ever hoped for.

"You certainly don't call me 'Da', that's for certain," Obi-Wan said, turning his eyes back to the road. It wasn't busy by any means, but Anakin kept asking Obi-Wan when he could finally learn how to drive, and it wouldn't be good for the boy to think of driving as a practice one could go at full speed. So Obi-Wan paid extra attention to every stop sign and difficult turn, carefully maneuvering his way down the city roads. "I'm surprised you even call me 'Master Obi-Wan' at the temple."

"Master Yoda wouldn't like it if I didn't," Anakin said with a laugh.

"I suppose not." They reached another stoplight, and Obi-Wan took the opportunity to spin around in his seat. "Does it bother you? That I'm not a dad?"

Anakin was silent. His eyes ran over the long practice sword, but they were unfocused. His fingers even started fidgeting, and the longer the silence went on, the more the boy twisted around in his seat. "Anakin?"

"I don't wanna be alone," he said. His voice was quiet, but in the small car, Obi-Wan heard it perfectly. It was a tone Anakin used often when he had first come to live with Obi-Wan, and it set off warning bells in Obi-Wan's head. He remembered how young Anakin looked back then, small and scared of all the changes happening around him, and he knew he had to say something. Anything.

Obi-Wan's mind raced. There were so many things he could say, but none of them felt right. Obi-Wan was never good with emotions, Qui-Gon had told him as much, and that fact was becoming painfully obvious at this moment. He wished he could say everything on his mind, but in the end, he settled for a sentence that was as simple as it was true. "As long as you're with me, you won't be alone. I promise."

Anakin looked up. His eyes flickered from side to side, but they were now focused on Obi-Wan instead of staring into space. The corner of the boy's lips turned up into a smile—a smile that went wide the second the car behind Obi-Wan started honking.

Obi-Wan held himself back from cursing and glared at the now green light. He moved the car and tried to ignore Anakin. The boy was laughing, hard and bright. "Obi-Wan! Can't you go any faster?" He said in a mocking tone.

"I can, but I will not." Obi-Wan forced himself to use his instructor's voice instead of stopping down to Anakin's level. "Driving can be dangerous if you go too fast."

"No way!" Anakin leaned forward and smiled even brighter. "When I get to drive, I'm gonna drive faster than you ever could! And way better, too!"

"I must say, that will be a very, very interesting day for me," Obi-Wan muttered. Because if the feeling in his gut was correct, Anakin was going to take to driving as quickly as he took to Jedi training. And if Anakin's driving style was anything like his swordplay… Well, Obi-Wan was fairly certain that Anakin's first time behind the wheel will end with Obi-Wan having a heart attack.

"Hold your sword straight," Obi-Wan reminded. Anakin readjusted his grip on his practice saber and held it steady. "Bend the knee more. Until it's at a right angle." Again, Anakin listened to Obi-Wan, lowering his body until the leg was at a perfect ninety-degree angle.

If only you were this obedient when I tell you to do your homework, Obi-Wan couldn't help but think. "Begin!"

With a rare seriousness, Anakin paced through the steps of Form I. They were slower but measured, following the exact steps as they were taught for centuries. Anakin's practice sword moved as swiftly as his arms, slashing, blocking, and weaving in and out of the air with a practiced ease. It even looked like the boy was almost gliding across the wooden floor. His training robes fluttered and snapped with each precise movement, the noises as good an indicator as any that Anakin was giving his all.

Obi-Wan looked on from the side and smiled. It had been three years since Anakin had come to live with him, and the boy had progressed steadily through the Jedi forms. As well-known as the Jedi were, not many pupils showed immense dedication to training at the temple. But like how Qui-Gon had seen potential in Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan and the other instructors saw potential in Anakin.

And Anakin showed as much enthusiasm for the Order as Obi-Wan did.

Anakin finished the first form. "Next!" Obi-Wan called out, and Anakin immediately began going through the motions of Form II. Anakin's steps and strikes gained speed and strength, and though his attacks at the air held greater ferocity, they were no less accurate than his strikes in Form I.

Obi-Wan glanced over at the temple's Council Masters, all of whom were seated on raised cushions that allowed them to survey the entire room. They pretended to talk amongst themselves, going over the details of temple management and new missions for official members, but even their chatter seemed to be meaningless. Anakin was paying no attention to them, instead focusing only on the form and his movements.

With a final shout, Anakin finished the form. He held his sword outwards, pointed directly at the council members, and held it steady, waiting for Obi-Wan's command.

"Final form!" Obi-Wan said.

Anakin pulled the sword back and held it across his chest in a protective stance. With smooth movements, the twelve-year-old slashed and blocked against an invisible opponent. This form required immense muscle control since the slower pace of the form taxed the body over time. And yet, Anakin went through the motions beautifully, keeping his body low to the ground and his sword swings tightly controlled.

As Anakin went through the slow form, Obi-Wan allowed himself to smile. Aside from himself and the Council, the temple was empty. All the other children had been excused, and it was only Anakin who remained in the circular training room, on the pretense of Obi-Wan wanting to review his mastery of the first three forms. Anakin didn't even question it.

There was a slight shuffling sound outside the window beside Obi-Wan, and he did his best to keep his face neutral. It was likely that no one on the Council would notice, but it was still better to stay on the safe side.

Finally, after a few more minutes, Anakin lowered his sword. He stood up to attention, and Obi-Wan turned to the Masters.

"Well done, Anakin," Master Plo Koon said. He used a special mask to help him breathe due to an accident in his childhood, but even though most younglings tended to be frightened of him, he was one of the kindest Jedi Obi-Wan had ever met. "You've certainly improved."

Grandmaster Yoda, a short, elderly man who could still beat anyone and everyone in the temple, hummed in agreement. "An ascension in order, it seems."

"Ascension?" Anakin looked between the Masters and Obi-Wan in confusion.

"He has passed all of the tests," Master Billaba said.

"I concur," Master Piell agreed.

"All those in favor of promoting Anakin to the rank of Padawan," Master Windu said, "raise your hand."

All eight members of the Council did so.

"Spoken, the Council has." Master Yoda raised a wrinkled hand towards Anakin. "Anakin Skywalker, come."

Anakin took a hesitant few steps forward before turning to Obi-Wan. "Why didn't you tell me this was a test?" He asked, and Obi-Wan could hear the annoyance in his voice.

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Because it could have influenced your behavior. We wanted to see who you are in an ordinary setting—not who you are because it is a test."

"And… I passed?" Anakin turned to Master Yoda. Long gone were the days of Anakin's hair falling over his face, and he met Master Yoda's eyes proudly. Even Anakin's blond hair had fully faded into a dark brown color, and, at least in Obi-Wan's eyes, it made Anakin look more mature.

"Wish to become a Padawan, do you?" Master Yoda asked.

"Yes!" Anakin screamed, not caring for the integrity of Obi-Wan's eardrums. "Yes, I do."

Master Windu rose from his seat and stared down at Anakin. "The role of padawan is a serious matter. This training, it is dedication that goes beyond the instruction we give to our usual pupils. This is an invitation to an organization that strives to achieve peace in the world and fights to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Do you understand this?"

Anakin nodded, but Obi-Wan could see how much his eyes were shining. "I do."

"Then hand me your sword." Master Windu extended an open palm, and Anakin gently set the hilt of his practice sword into the master's hand. "Kneel before the Council."

Anakin did just that. He settled onto the floor and bowed his head just as Master Windu raised the sword.

"Do you swear to uphold the Jedi Order," he said, "respecting those who came before you, and dedicating yourself to shielding others who need such protection?"

Anakin nodded. "I do."

"And do you swear to fight for the light? To fight to dispel the dark, and bring forth an era of peace?"

"I do."

Master Windu lowered the sword and gently tapped each of Anakin's shoulders. "Then I hereby declare you, Anakin Skywalker, Padawan of the Jedi Order."

The Council's thunderous applause echoed around the room. Anakin raised his head, and he grinned. Everyone, even Master Windu, joined in the applause as Anakin stood up and bowed to the Council.

Obi-Wan looked on in pride as Anakin gratefully took his sword back from Master Windu. Obi-Wan knew that this day would come ever since Anakin started training, but seeing it happen before his eyes, he didn't expect the immense joy he felt in this moment. Anakin has trained hard, and he has earned this all by himself.

Obi-Wan wondered what Qui-Gon would say at this moment.

"Now that you are a Padawan," Master Windu said once the applause had died down. "You will be assigned a master who will oversee your training until such a time that you are ready to become a Jedi. Does anyone know of a Master who wishes to take Anakin as a Padawan?"

"There is." Obi-Wan stepped forward until he was standing right beside Anakin. Facing the Council, he bowed deeply. "I, Obi-Wan Kenobi, wish to take Anakin as my apprentice, just as Qui-Gon took me as his."

Master Windu nodded. "You understand the responsibilities you are about to undertake?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "I promise, it cannot be harder than already being his guardian."

"It is decided," Master Plo said. "Anakin, do you accept Obi-Wan Kenobi as your master?"

"Yes." Anakin laughed. "He'd probably ground me if I say 'no'."

"A wise decision," Obi-Wan said, to which Anakin rolled his eyes. Normally, Obi-Wan would scold him for that, but today was a celebration. A new step in Anakin's life.

From one of the deep pockets in his robe, Obi-Wan pulled out a set of silka beads that hung on a single thread. Anakin set his eyes on them immediately. Though Anakin was only just promoted, he had spent enough time with Obi-Wan to recognize the Padawan beads, and he gasped a little when Obi-Wan went to attach them. Obi-Wan gently clasped them around a small section of hair at the back of Anakin's neck, and he let them drape over the boy's shoulders. Anakin would wear the silka beads until a section of hair was long enough to twist into a Padawan braid, and even though they were only a substitute, Anakin gazed over them in amazement. He tugged at the beads and traced each one of them with his fingers, taking in every detail.

"Welcome to the Jedi Order," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin looked up at him, and he was wearing the brightest smile Obi-Wan had ever seen.

"Obi-Wan! Why didn't you tell me?" Were the first words out of Anakin's mouth as they returned home.

"Didn't you hear the Council?" Obi-Wan said, making a b-line for the kitchen. "The trails for potential padawans are supposed to be secret."

"Yeah, but you're my guardian." Anakin trotted behind him. He was just as giddy as he was after the ceremony, but Obi-Wan didn't fail to notice the annoyance in the boy's voice. "Wouldn't it be worse for you if I sucked and failed?"

Obi-Wan shook his head and opened the fridge. "Anakin, I have watched you grow for the past three years. You are one of the most talented pupils the academy has ever seen, and I do believe it would be difficult for you to 'suck', as you say."

"Uh huh." Obi-Wan could just hear Anakin roll his eyes. "Sure you do."

"If I did think that," Obi-Wan said as he pulled out the double chocolate cake he'd hidden behind the vegetables, "then I suppose I shall have to eat this all by myself."

The look of sheer panic on Anakin's face was priceless. Obi-Wan watched as Anakin all but ripped the cake out of his hands and slammed it onto the kitchen counter. Thank god he's taught Anakin manners, because he had a feeling that there was very little stopping Anakin from digging into the cake with his bare hands.

They ate for a while. Well, it's more like Anakin ate while Obi-Wan only had a small slice. It was rare for the two of them to celebrate anything, and it was even rarer for Obi-Wan to bring any kind of sugary desserts into the house in fear of Anakin having a sugar rush, But today was an important day. At just twelve, Anakin was officially one of the youngest people ever to have been admitted to the rank of Padawan. It was said that not even Master Yoda achieved the rank that young, so Obi-Wan sat back and watched as Anakin scarfed down the chocolate monstrosity with glee.

"Congratulations, Anakin," he said as Anakin finished yet another slice. "You've earned this."

"I better have!" He gave Obi-Wan a chocolate-covered grin, and Obi-Wan was just happy that none of the chocolate had fallen onto the silka beads. "If I'd failed, you wouldn't have let me forget it!"

"Possibly. But that's not what I'm talking about." Obi-Wan cleared his throat. "I know these past few years have not been easy, but you have preserved through it all. That is an admirable accomplishment."

Anakin gave him the side-eye. "Can I say that next time you ground me?"

"I'm being serious, Anakin." Slowly, Obi-Wan walked over to a drawer in the kitchen countertop. It was typically filled with documents and bills that Anakin had no interest in, meaning it was the ideal spot to hide something he didn't want Anakin to know he had. At least, not until now. "Your teacher showed me your last assignment."

Obi-Wan set the papers on the kitchen table. Anakin sucked in a tight breath.

It was an English assignment that Anakin had handed in a couple of weeks ago. According to Anakin's teacher, the topic revolved around picking the emotion you feel most often and writing an essay about it. It was as much a personal exercise as it was an academic one, but after reading the assignment, the teacher had promptly called Obi-Wan and told him to read it. So Obi-Wan did, and his fingers hovered atop the essay's title.

Why I'm afraid of being alone, by Anakin Skywalker.

It had gone into more detail than Obi-Wan had expected. Anakin had practically recounted his entire life in three sheets of paper, and Obi-Wan learned new details about Anakin's past he'd been too afraid to ask about. Anakin started talking about when he was a child and kept asking his mother who his father was, why he had left them. It then moved on to the day of his mother's disappearance, and how he traveled by himself to city after city trying to find her until he himself was found by a teenage girl and her friends at a bus stop. The girl had talked to him and listened to his story. She convinced Anakin to get help from the police and had promised to keep in touch, but a scuffle involving the girl's father prevented Anakin from getting her contact information. Then he wrote about Qui-Gon's death, and about how the first person he could ever see as a father took care of him, only to die a few weeks after he'd met him.

But what truly frightened Obi-Wan was the final paragraph.

I've lived with Obi-Wan for three years, but sometimes I think he doesn't like me. He's really strict, and sometimes he grounds me for little things. But I'm scared because I don't think he really wants me. He only kept me because he promised Qui-Gon, and I'm afraid that one day he'll get sick of me. One day he told me that I wouldn't be alone if I was with him, but that doesn't mean he'll stick around. He's not my dad, so he doesn't have to keep me. That means that he'll leave one day. Just like everyone else did. And I'll be alone.

Anakin's eyes scanned over his own handwriting before looking down at the table. Obi-Wan sighed. "Anakin—"

"What?" Anakin's tone was harsh. It sounded angry, but beneath it, Obi-Wan could hear the boy's fear. It was the same terror that colored Anakin's voice whenever he had nightmares as a child. It reminded Obi-Wan of Anakin at Qui-Gon's funeral.

"I am truly sorry that I do not know where your mother is," Obi-Wan said. "If I knew, I'd take you to her in a heartbeat, even if it meant you'd have to leave. I'm sorry I am not a father. I'm sorry I am not Qui-Gon."

Anakin looked up at him. The look in his eyes, he was suddenly hanging on to every word Obi-Wan was saying, but Obi-Wan had never been good at expressing what he felt. He might have earned the nickname 'Master Negotiator' from his peers, but they had never seen Obi-Wan struggle to speak with Anakin, a boy who seemed to feel emotions more acutely than most.

What could Obi-Wan say? There were so many moments of his time with Anakin that echoed in his mind. His nervousness at taking in a boy he barely knew, his relief when Anakin and he had bonded over training at the Academy, his exasperation whenever he and his friend Rex would get themselves into trouble, and even the joy he felt at seeing Anakin just living his life. He had only known Anakin for three years, and yet Obi-Wan could no longer imagine a life without him. He had seen Anakin grow so much, and he wanted to continue seeing him grow.

And as he thought that, Obi-Wan spoke the only words he could trust himself to say. "But I want you to know this, Anakin. As your guardian, and now as your Master… I am very proud of you."

Anakin's eyes shined, and Obi-Wan realized that this was the first time he had said something like this to Anakin.

Carefully, Obi-Wan made his way around the table until he was standing right beside Anakin's seat. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, took in a deep breath, and he summoned the courage to speak again. "I am proud of you as you are, and I am proud of the man you are becoming. And no matter what happens, you will always have a home with the Order, and… and with me."

Anakin's face scrunched up. Obi-Wan's mind immediately went into overdrive, wondering where he had faltered and what words were wrong. But to his surprise, Anakin didn't seem angry. He didn't roll his eyes or storm off. Instead, he launched himself out of his chair and threw his arms around Obi-Wan's middle.

Obi-Wan blinked in shock. He gently wrapped his own arms around Anakin, still unsure of what to make of this. They had never really done this, him and Anakin. Obi-Wan always felt like he'd be intruding too much onto Anakin's space. But when Obi-Wan's arms encircled Anakin, the boy just hugged him tighter, so Obi-Wan did the same.

Obi-Wan felt his shirt grow wet from Anakin's tears, but he paid it no mind. This talk had done nothing to find Anakin's mother, nor to bring Qui-Gon back, but rarely did Obi-Wan see Anakin be so still and calm. Even when meditating, Anakin always seemed plagued by something deep in his mind. It would make him twitch and grimace, and Obi-Wan knew that something from his past was coming to haunt him. But right now, even if it was for the briefest moment, Obi-Wan felt Anakin be at peace.

They stayed that way for a very long time.

Chapter Text

As Anakin pulled into the driveway, all he could think about was how fucking glad he was that Obi-Wan was out on a mission. He shoved the beat-up car into park and collapsed against the seat. He'd slowed down just enough to not leave skid marks on the driveway, but just barely.

Time to figure out an excuse, Anakin thought as he turned on his car light. After getting chewed out, Anakin and his friends had gone out to celebrate, and it was near midnight by this point. Anakin adjusted the car mirror and looked at his reflection, just barely visible in the dim lighting.

Doesn't look like I got any bruises, he surmised after a quick inspection. Even with the close calls he'd had earlier that day, there weren't any bruises on the side of his head. Aside from the Padawan braid that fell over his right shoulder, the rest of his hair was really short, as it had been ever since he'd seriously started training to be a Jedi. He'd definitely grown into the look now that his face was growing into sharper angles—a far cry from his embarrassing babyface from a few years before.

Thank fuck, he thought. He rubbed a hand over his forehead in relief, but stopped partway when he looked back at the mirror. He pulled his hand down and looked at his knuckles, and sure enough, each one was slowly getting colored in with varying shades of blue and purple bruises. Anakin pulled up his other hand, and sure enough, it was exactly the same.

I guess this is why the Jedi use sabers instead of fists. Anakin stepped out of the car and slammed the door shut. Great, this was just what he needed. Now he was gonna have to explain to Obi-Wan why he was wearing gloves when it was almost summer. Yeah, that would go well. Anakin pushed his way through the house's side door and went straight to the kitchen. A good thing about the temple, at least in retrospect, was that it forced all Padwans to shove down mountains of knowledge from first-aid classes. It wasn't exactly Anakin's strong suit, but damn if he'd ever forget to put ice on a bruise or how to tie a tourniquet without earning a lecture from Master Luminara.

Anakin was two steps away from the freezer when the kitchen light turned on.

"Anakin," said a voice in a clear British accent. "Come sit down."

Anakin winced. Shit.

"Heeeey, Obi-Wan," Anakin drawled, casually hiding his hands behind his back as he turned to face him. Sure enough, there was Obi-Wan, standing in the kitchen doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. "You're back early. I thought your mission would last a couple more days."

"I'm here early because I received a call from the principal at your school." Obi-Wan's eyes immediately zeroed in on the hands Anakin was hiding. "Care to explain yourself, or shall I just repeat what I've been told?"

So much for hiding it, Anakin thought. He lowered both arms to his sides—no point in ignoring his bruised knuckles. "Come on, Obi-Wan. It was just a little fight."

"A fight which led you to getting suspended for an entire week." Obi-Wan stared Anakin down with hard eyes. He was still wearing the robes Jedi often wore on missions, though he'd taken off the cloak, and his twisting white robes were covered in a light layer of dirt, which contrasted his bright red hair. He'd let his hair grow out over the years—something that was usually considered to be a symbol of status for fully-fledged male Jedi—even if it was kind of ridiculous. Obi-Wan also now had a full beard that made him look older than he was, and Anakin had a sneaking suspicion that he kept it in order to please a certain someone who had re-entered Obi-Wan's life a couple years ago.

"You're not even gonna ask me what it was about?" Anakin crossed his own arms against his chest and leaned against the fridge. Pulling out ice would look like weakness, and that wasn't something he could show when he was about to argue with Obi-Wan. "You're just gonna immediately peg me as the bad guy?"

Obi-Wan stepped forward. "That is not the case."

"Then why haven't you asked what the fight was about?" Anakin let bitterness seep into his tone, because this is what Obi-Wan always did. He always charged straight ahead, not even giving Anakin a chance to defend himself.

"I haven't asked because you're not being forthright about it," Obi-Wan said, and his accent sounded different. Obi-Wan had told him how he'd lost the Scottish accent after spending so many years with Qui-Gon, but honestly, when he got mad at Anakin, bits and pieces of it would come out to tell Anakin just how angry he was.

Not that Anakin cared.

A low growl rumbled out of Anakin's mouth. "So did that half-wit principal tell you what those bastards said to everyone?"

"Anakin, language!" Obi-Wan yelled, his accent getting even more pronounced.

"Well, did he?" Anakin pushed himself off the fridge and stalked towards Obi-Wan until he was almost in the man's face. Anakin was finally growing, and now that he was taller than Obi-Wan, he used that height to his advantage. "Or is it something else? Are you gonna tell me you agree with what they said?"

"I do not." Obi-Wan met Anakin's eyes with a steady gaze. "Anakin, you should know I would never agree with them."

"Really? 'Cause it sounds like you're defending them!" Anakin spit the last word out at Obi-Wan before turning away. He stomped across the kitchen, colliding with one of the kitchen chairs. In a surge of rage, he launched a foot out and kicked it to the ground.

"I would never condone anyone speaking ill of your mother, Anakin," Obi-Wan said in a measured voice, and Force, that just made Anakin even angrier! "I know it's been seven years since she went missing, but I know that the pain you carry with you since her disappearance hasn't dulled."

Anakin spun around to face Obi-Wan again. "Then why aren't you taking my side?"

"Because of your actions!" Obi-Wan's voice rose, and Anakin smirked. "Anakin, we've talked about this. These past three years, your anger has grown. We try to teach you how to manage it at the temple—"

"You really think I'm gonna follow Master Windu's words on controlling anger?"

"Anakin, anger is dangerous." Obi-Wan stepped over the fallen chair to stand in front of Anakin. "This was a fight at school that ended with a few minor injuries, but what if something worse had happened? What if you had caused more harm?"

"They would've deserved it."

"Even if you had killed them?" Obi-Wan's voice was low. "Anakin, I know your strength. I know it is possible for you to harm someone deeply without you truly being aware of what you're doing. Perhaps now it only ended with minor injuries, but if you do not control your anger, I fear the consequences may end up being worse. What if you had sent those boys to the hospital? What if you had hurt the wrong person?"

"Why do you always think I'm doing something wrong?" Anakin shook his head. "It's always 'Anakin, don't do this. Don't do that. Be the better person, Anakin.' Well, what if no one wants to be the better person for me?"

"Then you will deal with it. Anakin, you wish to be a Jedi."

"Not so sure about that anymore."

"What did you say?"

"You heard me," Anakin snarled. "If being a Jedi means I have to let people say my mom was a deadbeat bitch, then I'd rather be a Sith!"

"You don't mean that," Obi-Wan said, but there was a second of hesitation in his voice. "Anakin, you know that the Sith are a dangerous organization. They were created to oppose the Jedi centuries ago, and they were the ones who killed Qui-Gon."

Anakin turned away and stared at the kitchen floor. Part of Anakin wanted to take back what he said, even if it was only out of respect for Qui-Gon's memory, but the other part of him remembered the words those assholes had said at school. He remembered how satisfying it was to feel their noses crack beneath Anakin's fist. "At least they don't let themselves get shit on."

"Anakin, I'm not saying that what those boys said was right." Obi-Wans' words were measured, but his Scottish lilt grew stronger with each syllable. "Nor am I saying that they did not deserve to face consequences. There is no excuse for them saying what they said, but there are better ways to discipline them for it."

"Like it would matter." Anakin raised his head. "Obi-Wan, you don't know those assholes! Nothing gets through to them unless you take matters into your own hands!"

"Anakin, that's—"

"What? Against the code? Why does the code matter when they're talking shit about my mom?"

"Anakin—"

"I'm the only one who still cares about her, and someone needed to teach those bastards a lesson!"

"That does not give you the right to lash out in anger!" Obi-Wan yelled, his accent deeper and thicker than Anakin had ever heard in his life.

The shout echoed around the small kitchen, and as Obi-Wan's chest heaved with angry breaths, Anakin smiled and said, "Big talk coming from you."

Obi-Wan drew himself back. He pulled his face into a moderate expression and leveled a hard gaze at Anakin. "You are grounded."

Anakin huffed. "Fine."

"For a month."

"A month?"

"Do you want it to be two?" Obi-Wan held out his hand. "Give me your phone and your car keys. Now."

Anakin rolled his eyes and fought down the urge to just go to the car and take off. But as much as he liked teasing Obi-Wan about his age, Obi-Wan could still keep up with him, and he'd likely tackle Anakin to the ground before he could even get out the door. So Anakin yanked out his phone and keys and slapped them into Obi-Wan's hand. He stalked past Obi-Wan and up the stairs. Obi-Wan was gonna send him to his room anyway—may as well save him the trouble of yelling it.

"I know you think I'm being harsh, Anakin," Obi-Wan called up the stairs, and Anakin paused halfway. "But you need to understand that this is not the way to solve disputes. This is what we are trying to teach you at the temple. If we solved every issue we encountered with violence, the Jedi would not be a peace-keeping force. Instead, we would be nothing but revengers for hire."

Anakin's hand curled around the banister. "At least it's better than what you're doing now," he said.

Obi-Wan hissed in a breath, and Anakin didn't even wait for a reply. He just stomped up the stairs, went to his room, and slammed the door shut.

Anakin sneaked his way to the edge of the stairs, holding his shoes in his hand. It was late, or very early morning, depending on who you asked, and the house was silent save for Anakin's light footsteps. The house was dark, but Anakin easily felt his way to the staircase banister.

With slow steps, Anakin inched his way down the first two stairs. Obi-Wan was known for being an early riser, but Anakin knew from experience that his guardian/temple master was also a light sleeper. So he walked as carefully as possible, knowing that the slightest noise would give him away and destroy any chance Anakin had of going to that party.

"I can't help it, Satine," said a low voice. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong."

Anakin froze. He was halfway down the stairs, but his feet refused to move. So he stood there, in the house's darkness, looking down towards the source of the voice.

"Have you thought about talking to him?" Asked a woman with a British accent. It was an accent so fine and crisp that Obi-Wan constantly described it as 'pretentiously posh'.

Anakin kneeled down and looked through the slits in the staircase bannister. In the darkness, he could just make out a pair of figures sitting in the living room. One of them had short blonde hair that was curled at the ends, and she was rubbing a hand up and down the back of the man sitting next to her. That man, shockingly enough, was Obi-Wan. His hair had fallen all around his face, and it looked like he was hunched over himself. They were both sitting on the large couch that had been there since before Anakin had even moved in, and, thank the Force, that meant that Obi-Wan and Satine were looking away from the stairs.

"We always end up arguing," Obi-Wan said, his voice soft and low. "He feels like I never understand him and I feel like he never takes me seriously."

"I do believe that's part of reaching adolescence," Satine replied, earning a huff of amusement from Obi-Wan.

Anakin rolled his eyes and sat on the steps. There was no way he'd be able to sneak past Obi-Wan and Satine, even if they didn't have the lights on. Anakin had only known Satine for a couple of years, but he'd seen firsthand how smart she was when thrown into a fight. Apparently she and Obi-Wan had known each other back when they were teenagers, but they lost contact after Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had moved to the States—something which Satine loved to bring up when riling Obi-Wan. Seeing them verbally duke it out was one of Anakin's favorite pastimes, especially since she'd been coming over more and more ever since Anakin got grounded. But that didn't explain why the two of them were whispering in the living room. In literal darkness. Past midnight. With Anakin still in the house.

Obi-Wan sighed and hunched down even further. "I feel like I'm failing. We've barely spoken to one another the last few days. I'm supposed to be his guardian, but I just don't know what to do. Every time something like this happens, I feel like it should be Qui-Gon here instead of me."

At the mention of Qui-Gon, Anakin's throat tightened. Obi-Wan rarely brought him up, and the last time they'd said Qui-Gon's name was when Anakin got grounded a couple of weeks ago.

"You still miss him," Satine said.

"Every day." Obi-Wan sighed again. He'd been doing that a lot the last three years. Most of the time he did it when around Anakin. "He would've been the father Anakin needed. I'm just a substitute."

"You think that he doesn't see you as a father figure?"

"Anakin established that very early on. That's not who I am to him, Satine."

"It will do you no good thinking on the 'what-ifs'. You are what Anakin has. That's what you should focus on."

Obi-Wan said nothing, and Anakin waited in the dark silence. For what, he wasn't sure. But he sat there until Obi-Wan spoke in a voice so quiet Anakin barely heard him.

"I'm frightened, Satine."

"Of Anakin?" She asked.

"No, not of Anakin."

Anakin watched as Satine looked off into the distance, like she always did when she was puzzling something out. "Of his anger?" She guessed.

"In a way," Obi-Wan said. "I fear that I am not enough to control it."

"Rex, I'm just sick of him!" Anakin yelled as he kicked a stray pebble halfway across the empty basketball court. "It's like he has fun thinking he knows better than me!"

"Calm down, General," Rex said, but Anakin could hear the repressed laughter in his voice. Rex was sitting on the bleachers with a large smirk on his face, and it only grew as Anakin glared at him. "Jango thinks the same of me and my brothers. It's just a thing dads do, as much as we hate it."

Anakin rolled his eyes, though he still jumped up the bleachers to sit beside Rex. "He's not my dad and you know it."

Rex held up his hands in surrender. "Whatever you say, General." Rex had a serious face, eerily similar to his brothers', with sharp angles and small eyes. He could look seriously threatening sometimes, especially with his shaved head. Still, he smiled and joked around way more than Cody did, and Anakin was thankful for that.

Anakin had been best friends with Rex Fett ever since they were kids. Here's the thing, Rex was one of way too many brothers, and one of his oldest brothers, Cody, was friends with Obi-Wan. When Anakin was still new to Coruscant, Obi-Wan figured that Cody had a brother or two to spare to hang out with Anakin. The one Anakin thought was cool was Rex, and there they were—seven years later and still pulling shit on both Obi-Wan and Cody. Anakin had masterminded so many of their pranks that Rex had granted him the nickname 'General', and Anakin liked how that fit. Even if it was the same nickname Cody had for Obi-Wan.

A bundle of shouts came out from the corner of the building just beside the basketball court. Anakin turned his head to see a familiar group head towards the bleachers, and he smiled as they all froze at the sight of Anakin and Rex. The five of them, three of whom still had bandages on their noses, turned around and headed back towards the high school's main courtyard.

"Pricks don't come near us anymore," Rex said. Like Obi-Wan, Rex had lived in the UK for a few years, and his accent was as strong as ever. Anakin had a feeling it had to do with how intense his dad was. Jango Fett, and by extension, most of the Fett brothers, had established a long tradition of serving in the armed forces. The Fett family wasn't known as a top-tier military family for nothing, and it showed in the way Rex carried himself with a posture so perfect even Master Secura would approve of it.

"Good." Anakin leaned back against the bleachers like a cat proclaiming its turf. "I don't care what Obi-Wan says. Beating the shit into people actually does get results."

"Damn right." Rex pulled out his phone and scrolled through his notifications. "Hey, check this out. They just released the highlights from last night's Pod-1 race."

"Let me see!" Anakin nearly yanked the phone out of Rex's hand. They only had a few minutes left in their free period, and according to the video preview, they had just enough time to watch all the highlights.

Rex grinned as the video played the start of the race. Already, there were five pod cars fighting for first. "I hope they show—"

"Hey, no spoilers!" Anakin said.

"Since when have you missed a P1 race?" Rex asked as Ratts Tyerell did an overtake that shot him into first place.

"Since I've had to watch everything online because Obi-Wan canceled our cable."

"And how is that an issue?"

"I can only use my laptop for homework under Obi-Wan's 'supervision'. The guy even makes me give him my phone when he picks me up from school."

"He picks you up?" Rex looked away from the highlights and raised an eyebrow at Anakin. "How old are you, twelve? Don't you have a car?"

"The beat-up yellow piece of shit is actually Obi-Wan's car. Only reason he let me use it is because the guy hates driving."

Rex didn't stop giving him the stare, so Anakin just huffed and kept talking. "It's part of me being grounded. A new way to torture me in the hopes I'll 'control my impulses and listen to others', or some BS like that. I only get to have my phone at school in case there's an 'emergency'."

"Small miracles." Rex turned back to the video. "I'm just lucky my dad only made me go through the gauntlet."

"Isn't the gauntlet a full triathlon?"

"That's right. I even beat my personal best by over a minute this time."

Anakin shook his head. "I wish Obi-Wan would take a page out of your dad's book. That'd be way better than having to sit on my ass whenever I'm not at the temple." Not to mention that the temple masters had taken to testing Anakin in their own ways. Anakin couldn't remember the last time Master Plo had made him do so much meditating, nor the last time Master Windu had given him so many lectures on 'mastering one's emotions'. Force, it was really hard to not laugh at them.

The highlights were now showing the end of the race. Sebulba popped a tire in the last lap, and Anakin cheered. Sebulba was his least favorite podracer, so when he got pushed into fifteenth place, Anakin laughed and grinned.

The bell rang out from the building behind them. "Looks like we made it," Rex said as he zoomed out of the highlights, showing a slew of newly recommended videos. "We should probably get—"

"What's that?" Anakin leaned forward and stared at the thumbnail of a video that'd been posted just five minutes ago. It was of a blue car so totaled that the chassis had crumpled like a tin can, with a swath of police officers pulling things out of it. One of them held a green jacket. The other held a black purse.

A very, very familiar black purse.

Rex pulled his phone back. "We don't have—"

"We can get there a couple minutes late." Anakin pulled the phone back. "Just—Just let me see something."

Anakin clicked on the video.

It was a two-minute news clip about a crash that had just been found. A hiker had found a car buried under mounds of dirt and debris near a large road to the south of Coruscant City, and rescue crews were pulling it out of the forest that the road had been built around. The reporter narrating the clip stated that no one knew whose car it was and that they encouraged anyone with information to come forward.

Then came the clip of the crew pulling out items from the car. A brown jacket that Anakin didn't recognize, a crumpled manila folder, and a large black purse.

The camera zoomed in on the purse. The rescue crew looked it over, and that's when Anakin saw a large white stain on the side of the purse.

And that's when Anakin understood what he was seeing.

Anakin threw himself off the bleachers and sprinted off the empty basketball court, running straight for the school's exit.

"Oi, General! Where you going?" Rex called out, but Anakin didn't turn back.

Anakin ran and ran until he finally got to the entrance. The security guard beside the door was leaning back in his chair, and Anakin took the moment to sprint through the open gates.

Behind him, Anakin heard the guard give a shout. Then came Rex's voice, yelling at Anakin to tell him what the hell he was doing, but then the guard gave another shout, and Rex's voice faded into the distance.

So Anakin kept running.

Anakin was dripping with sweat by the time he finally got to the large street. He didn't know how long he'd been running—all he knew was that there were half a dozen police cars, a huge ambulance, a news van, miles of yellow tape, a small clearing made into the forest that lay beyond the road, and a blue car just a few steps away.

Anakin weaved in between the newscasters and their cameramen. Some shouted as he pushed their way past them, but Anakin didn't care. He ducked underneath the yellow police tape and sprinted towards the car.

"Hey! Hey, kid!" Someone yelled. A rough hand caught Anakin's arm, but Anakin shook it off and kept running.

He was five steps away from the car when two police officers grabbed his arms and pinned them behind his back.

"Who's car is that!" Anakin yelled. He struggled against the officers' grips, but they were strong, and they kept Anakin locked in place.

"Kid, you can't be here," the officer to his right said, and they started dragging Anakin away from the car.

"Tell me!" Anakin yelled. Anakin could just see a pair of paramedics walk to and from the ambulance and the wrecked car, and he pushed back against the officers with a new surge of fury.

"What reason would we have to tell you?" The officer asked through gritted teeth.

"Because I think I saw my mom's purse!" Anakin said, and the officers holding him suddenly stopped moving. "It was the only purse she owned. It was black and big and had a huge white stain on the side. I saw it in the news clip! I know it's hers!"

The two officers exchanged a look, and Anakin pushed against their hold. He thrashed beneath their arms, pushing and shaking his body, just hoping that he could make it to the car. He had to see. He had to know.

"Were there any stains on the inside?"

Anakin stopped his struggle and turned towards the source of the new voice. A third officer, one with stars on his shoulders and a couple of medals underneath his badge, walked forwards. He stood in front of Anakin, and in a calm yet serious voice, repeated, "Were there any stains on the inside of the purse?"

Anakin could feel himself shaking, but he forced himself to nod. "Yeah. A big one. Red, from when I put a juice pack in there and didn't see it was open. It's on the bottom of the bag."

The third officer nodded and straightened his back. "I'm Sargeant Syndulla," he said, and Anakin noted a heavy Ryloth accent. "What's your name, young man?"

"Anakin Skywalker," he said. "My mom's name is Shmi. I know that's her purse!"

The Sargeant nodded, but not before Anakin saw a little twitch in his eye. He angled himself, adjusting his position so he was right between Anakin and the ambulance tucked away between two police cruisers.

Anakin's heart jumped up to his throat.

"Come with us," Sargent Syndulla said in a steady voice. "I feel like there are some things you could help us with, Anakin."

The two officers who were holding Anakin loosened their grip, and Anakin didn't wait for them to realize their mistake.

In a single motion, Anakin twisted his arms up and out of the officer's grips. The Sargaent rushed forward to grab Anakin, but Anakin used his newly freed arms to grip the Sargaent's shoulders and launch himself over the man. Anakin leaped up into the air and hit the ground with a roll. Anakin used the momentum to push himself up into a sprint, and, ducking between another officer who tried to tackle him, Anakin jumped over the hood of the police car that stood between him and the ambulance.

Mom, he thought. Mom, you're alive! You're—

The ambulance came fully into view, and Anakin saw the paramedics.

He saw them zipping up a black body bag.

Anakin heard shouts behind him, he could see the paramedics try to push him away, but Anakin forced himself to stand next to the body bag. He made himself stand there, and he made himself look into the bag that wasn't fully zipped up yet.

All he saw were the feet, still in a pair of simple black flats. The skin had decomposed, molding itself to the bone underneath, and it let off a rotten smell that made Anakin want to gag. But Anakin knew those shoes, because just like that black purse, these were the only nice shoes his mom owned. They were black and discolored at the tip from when his mom had tried to shine them, and the body was wearing them.

Which meant—Which meant—

"Mom…" Anakin choked on his own voice. "No. I—It can't—No, it—Mom!"

Hands gripped his arms and tried to pull him away. They grabbed and pulled, but Anakin thrashed and screamed. They couldn't take him away! They couldn't! Finally, after so many years, his mom was right there! She was there, but she was—

"Mom!" Anakin's scream pierced the air. It was harsh, it was broken, and it was all Anakin could say as he was dragged away from his mother's lifeless body.

They tried talking to him, but Anakin refused to answer. All they wanted to know was how old he was. Who they could call. Anakin didn't want to answer those questions. He didn't want to say anything at all.

After a few more minutes, Sargaent Syndulla made him sit in one of the cruisers—the one farthest away from the ambulance. Anakin sat on the seat's edge and refused to let the Sargaent close the door. An officer came up to them and gave the Sargaent a look, which finally made him relent. He draped a blanket over Anakin's shoulders and led the other officer away from the car.

Anakin looked away and unfocused his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he followed the steps of an old Jedi trick he'd been taught shortly after becoming a Padawan. One by one, Anakin droned out the noises surrounding him. The murmurs of nearby reporters, the radio static coming from the car, and the sounds of concerned locals. Anakin separated every noise until, finally, he could only hear two people.

"We've got details in the plates," an officer said. "The car was claimed to be stolen seven years ago. Belongs to a Sharina Parsons. Records say she was living in Tatooine City when her neighbor, Shmi Skywalker, went missing."

Sergeant Syndulla sighed. "And I'm guessing that she went missing seven years ago."

Anakin's hands shook violently—not with grief, and not with shock.

They shook with rage.

"That's a while away from Coruscant City," the Sargaent said, unaware that Anakin could hear him. "What's the body of Shmi Skywalker doing in a place that's almost a week's drive from her home?"

That's exactly what Anakin wanted to know. So when the Sargeant turned to yet another officer, Anakin pulled off the blanket, stepped out of the car, and slipped away.

It had been years since Anakin had stowed away on a train. But Jedi training, alongside the fact that he hadn't said a word in several days, made him a very effective stowaway. Even as train workers loaded and unloaded dozens of crates in the train car, Anakin kept himself hidden in the shadowy corners, staring into space until the doors were closed and the train drew him closer and closer to his destination.

This shouldn't be this easy, Anakin thought numbly. Other than the pulsing anger that never seemed to leave him, the rest of him acted on autopilot. Staying still until the anger told him to move again. I was similar to when he'd done this as a child, only back then he had acted out of fear. Fear of never seeing his mother again.

A fear which had come true.

Anakin had gotten far that time. From Tatooine City all the way to Coruscant, and he'd only stopped because of that one girl. That one girl who saw him stealing snacks from a convenience store and paid for them herself so that Anakin wouldn't get in trouble.

She was beautiful, he remembers that. She had long dark hair that was twisted into a complicated bun, a fine face with deep red lips, and kind brown eyes that looked at Anakin as something more than a kid who hadn't showered in two weeks. Anakin was so starstruck that he'd asked her if she was an angel, a fact that made Anakin wince even now.

As the train car jostled and stacks of crates shifted about, Anakin focused on that memory. He could remember everything except one thing. He remembered how kind her smile was, how gently she had convinced Anakin to talk to the police. He remembered how patient she'd been, and how impressed she was that Anakin had managed to fix her broken cell phone at just nine years old. He remembered how happy he was to have someone who seemed to understand him, and he remembered how scared he was when a man with white hair and a dark brown suit had come to take her away. Said she had a very important train to catch, and how he'd taken her before Anakin could get her number.

Anakin remembered all that, but there's one thing that always slipped his mind no matter how many times he thought about that moment. He remembered that the girl had said her name, and Force, there was nothing Anakin could do to remember it!

Anakin stewed in his thoughts for hours. He sat in the dark train compartment, alternating between thoughts of the girl and thoughts of his mother's corpse, until the doors behind him finally opened. A PA said that they had arrived at Tatooine station, and once the train worker had turned his back to the crate Anakin was hiding behind, the boy slipped out of the train car and into the blistering heat of his hometown.

He didn't know how many days had passed, but it didn't matter. He was finally here, and now he could finally achieve what he had set out to do.

"They can't pin anything on me. Not yet." That was the voice Anakin heard through the window, where he crouched against the backyard's concrete flooring. It hadn't been difficult to find the house. Anakin remembered it from when he used to live in Tatooine City, and he could never forget the house he and his mom lived in. The house he had to give up when the bank reclaimed it and Anakin was put in the system.

"Why'd you do it?" Asked another voice, this one a bit older. Her voice just sounded sad.

"She needed the money," said Sharina Parsons. "I needed someone to help me with a job. It… it went south. Shmi wanted to go to the cops, I didn't."

Anakin's hands curled into fists. He was so close. He was so close to getting revenge on his mother. All he had to do was wait for the woman to leave, and then he could sneak inside the house. He could go in, and he could finally get justice for his mom.

"I don't know what'll happen to the kids," Sharina said, and it sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

Anakin resisted the urge to laugh into the blisteringly hot night. You didn't think about my mother, and know you want others to think about your children? When I kill you, why don't I just kill them, too?

"I'll take care of them," the other woman said. "They'll have a home with me. I promise. Your kids, they've done nothing wrong."

"They want to question me at the station tomorrow." Sharina laughed breathlessly. "I could take the kids and run before that."

"That's not a way to live. They'll know you've done something wrong."

"I'm their mother."

"I think they would rather see you doing the right thing. I think that's what Shmi would want."

The sound of his mother's name made Anakin's heart stop.

"She had a kid, too," the friend said. "Didn't she?"

"A boy. Anakin."

"He hasn't done anything wrong, either. And I think he deserves justice."

Sharina laughed, but it was bitter. "I'd rather he come and kill me himself. That way I wouldn't have to live with the guilt. It could just be over."

Anakin felt every muscle in his body tighten. Yes. That was the justice he wanted. That was the justice he had set out to do, and he was so close. So close. He just had to wait a little more, and then finally, finally—

"Would Shmi want that?"

Anakin's fingers went numb.

"The way you're looking at me now… " Sharina said. "I wouldn't want that for the boy."

"What look?"

"You're disappointed. You're horrified. You know I've done something terrible, but you still love me." Sharina shuddered like she was holding in a sob. "I don't know which bit is worse."

There was shuffling, and the two women went deeper into the house. Unable to hear them anymore, Anakin was left to think. To think and wait for the moment he could finally go in. But the words from the women replayed themselves in his head.

What would Obi-Wan think, if Anakin entered that house? If Anakin took the life of the woman who had killed his mother? Would he be angry, disappointed? Would he regret ever taking Anakin in?

What would he think if I'd killed the kids? Anakin thought. Force, he'd probably disown me. He'd probably—

Anakin crashed against the concrete flooring. His chest heaved with harsh, uncontrollable breaths, and his heart pounded in his head.

I thought about killing kids, Anakin realized. W—Why did I want to kill kids?

Anakin threw up.

What little Anakin had left in his stomach flew out onto the concrete backyard. Anakin heaved and heaved until there was nothing left. He shuddered and squeezed his eyes shut. He sat there and waited for someone to come find him, for someone to have heard him vomiting and come out to yell at him. But no one came.

Anakin stayed there, shaking and breathing heavily, for a long time. He kept imagining his mother crying, horrified at the thought that Anakin could hurt anyone. He kept imagining Obi-Wan looking resigned, asking himself where he went wrong. He imagined them looking down on him, scared and heartbroken at what they were seeing.

I… What am I doing?

Anakin looked down at his hands. They'd just been clenched into tight fists, ready to break into the house and find the nearest weapon. He hadn't cared about getting caught. He hadn't cared about going to prison. All he had wanted was to get justice for his mother, but now… now…

What the hell am I doing? He wondered. What the hell am I thinking?

Anakin watched the house's lights go dark. He sat there and waited until he found the strength to push himself up. He stood and looked at the windows, where the woman who killed his mother and her children were sleeping.

"Fuck you," he said.

No one answered, and Anakin left.

Anakin wasn't sure where he was going, or even if he was heading anywhere near Coruscant and Obi-Wan, the man who was probably glad that Anakin was gone. Anakin just lay against another train compartment filled with crates and whatever crap he'd managed to snatch from abandoned trays at the station's food court. He was too tired. Too tired of thinking. Too tired of everything.

He'd almost killed someone. He'd almost killed their kids. Even if it was in revenge for his mother, who would want to do that?

Revenge. Anakin thought over the word. That's right. I didn't want justice. I wanted revenge.

Would his mom be proud that he didn't do it? Would Obi-Wan?

What would Padmé think?

Anakin gasped, the only sound that could be heard in the tiny train car. The image of a girl with long hair and a fine face came to his mind. A beautiful girl, one who was compassionate and caring. A girl whom he hadn't seen in years.

Anakin, despite everything, smiled and whispered, "Padmé."

That's right. Her name was Padmé.

Whether it was by the will of the Force or Anakin's own subconscious, Anakin had ended up on the outskirts of Coruscant City.

The Force's way to punish me, I guess. After looking around the near-empty train station's parking lot, Anakin saw a long road that led to a tiny town off in the distance. Anakin's stomach rumbled beneath his thin t-shirt, so he started walking.

A rumble of thunder rang across the sky, and Anakin peered up at the gray clouds. Coruscant weather has always been tumultuous, and compared to the blazing heat of Tatooine City, Anakin almost welcomed it.

Almost.

Soon enough, Anakin started walking down a single road filled with small shops, ranging from a butcher shop all the way to a tiny movie theater. Anakin made a b-line for the nearest produce shop, which had some of its wears stacked up in crates just outside. For Anakin, who only had his dead phone in his pocket, these were a safe target.

A bright stack of peaches stood out to Anakin. He'd spent so much time eating junk from random train station shops, he was pretty sure he'd forgotten what fruit tasted like. So Anakin continued walking at his normal pace, just fast enough to seem like a teenager on his way to the movie theater just down the road. He got closer to the produce shop, the peach ready to get snatched. Anakin looked over his shoulder, taking a quick look around to make sure he wasn't being—

Anakin stopped short. Right in front of him, taped to a telephone pole, was a poster.

A poster with his name on it.

Anakin shuffled his feet forwards. He blinked, but the photo on the poster hadn't changed. It was a photo of him from a few months ago. It was his sixteenth birthday, and Rex had challenged him to a bowling match, saying that Anakin needed to walk off his own ego. Anakin was smiling because he'd won, and Rex didn't hear the end of it for several weeks.

"Can't be," Anakin said numbly. He looked at the top of the poster again, but the words 'Missing: Anakin Skywalker (16 Years Old)' didn't change.

Anakin looked at the rest of the poster. It said he'd last been seen at that fucking freeway, what he was wearing, and if anyone had information of his whereabouts, that they should either contact the police… or Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Anakin shook his head. "I gotta be dreaming." He was half-sure that Obi-Wan would've been so pissed at him that he wouldn't have bothered to look for Anakin. Better yet, Anakin thought he would've said 'good riddance'. But as Anakin looked at the rippable slips at the bottom of the poster, he could clearly see a phone number people could contact. A phone number that was Obi-Wan's.

"Hey, kid!" A man yelled from behind, and Anakin stiffened. "What you doin' out here? It's gonna rain soon!"

Anakin turned away from the store, keeping his face low and his Padawan braid out of the man's sight. "Nothing," he said. "I'm not doing anything."

Anakin walked away, but he couldn't help but feel that the man kept his eyes on him until Anakin finally turned onto another street.

Anakin didn't know how long he'd been walking for. It must've been hours because the sky had gotten darker and it had started raining. It had been little droplets, at first, but then they turned into fat drops of rain that pelted Anakin's body. But still, he didn't stop walking.

The man at the store hadn't called him by his name, hadn't try to stop him, but there was still a chance he might've called someone. Called Obi-Wan. Anakin couldn't have that. He couldn't go home now.

Home. Anakin closed his eyes. Is… Is that really home anymore? After what I did?

So Anakin kept walking. He walked through bits of forest that surrounded Coruscant City's outskirts, went down old roads with cracked pavements, and kept going until he reached a long well-kept straightaway. Straightaways led to towns, and towns tended to have old buildings Anakin could rest for a night or two.

Anakin saw the car's headlights before he heard it's deep rumbling. He turned, and through the heavy rain, he could just make out a car's shadow in the distance. Part of Anakin told him to turn around and ignore it, but his water-soaked jeans and aching feet told him otherwise.

Anakin held out a thumb and called for the car to slow down. He honestly didn't expect the driver to see him, but they did, and a dark red car stopped a few paces away from Anakin. A door opened, and a tall figure stepped out into the rain.

"Where you heading?" Anakin yelled over the heavy thunder.

The man did not move.

Anakin groaned. "Come on, man. I'm freezing my ass out here."

A tall man stepped away from the car with long, powerful steps. He was tall—taller than most masters at the temple—and had a long face that peered down at Anakin with a practiced glower. He had gray hair that was neatly combed back, and a long beard that had been carefully trimmed.

"You are Anakin Skywalker," the man said in a deep voice with a crisp British accent.

"Fuck!" Anakin sucked in a breath through his teeth. He'd managed to stay undetected for who knows how many days, and now someone recognizes him? "Hey—Don't tell anyone where I am. I just wanna get out of this goddamn rai—"

The man gave no warning. No indication of what he was about to do. One second, Anakin was standing in front of him, and the next, the man was pressing him into the pavement beneath them.

"A—Ah!" Anakin cried as the man pressed his face into the ground. There was a knee in Anakin's back, and no matter how much he struggled or tried to move, the man kept his grip tight.

"If you survive, give Obi-Wan Kenobi my regards." The man said as he gripped Anakin's right arm with both hands. "Tell him it's payment for allowing my former apprentice to die."

And before Anakin could even say anything, the man broke Anakin's arm.

"Aaaah!" Anakin wailed. Pain ran up every fiber in his being, culminating in Anakin's arm. It hurt, but then the man twisted Anakin's arm again.

Anakin screamed. He screamed as the man kept twisting and breaking his forearm, all without showing any signs of exhaustion. Without showing any kind of emotion. Even as Anakin screamed and begged him to stop, the man kept going. When he was through with Anakin's arm, he moved onto the fingers, and Anakin's voice grew too hoarse to scream.

Finally, after an eternity in the heavy rain, the man let Anakin go. Anakin panted against the pavement. Everything hurt. Everything just shook and ached and burned, and Anakin couldn't do anything about it.

It was a miracle that he heard the car engine rev up again.

On pure instinct, Anakin pulled himself off of the road a second before the man's car sped down the road, leaving Anakin to rot.

Anakin's body went numb. That was the only reason he was able to stand up—to keep walking down that fucking road and find a cluster of old buildings.

Anakin looked around the abandoned neighborhood. There were two dozen buildings at most, and many of them had rainwater leaking into them from broken roofs. It took Anakin four tries to find one that was mostly dry inside, though a large puddle of water was slowly expanding throughout the floor. Still, it was better than nothing, so Anakin shuffled his way inside.

Anakin slid down to the floor and shuddered. His clothes were soaked, his feet were aching, and he still couldn't feel his arm. He could barely even recognize it as it lay to his side. A mangled mess of flesh and blood that Anakin was terrified would paralyze him with pain again.

Anakin adjusted himself on the floor, and something fell out of his pocket. With his good arm, Anakin picked it up.

Almost forgot I had this. Anakin let out a pitiful laugh as he turned his cellphone in his hand. He'd turned it off the day he saw his mom's dead body and hadn't looked at it since. Probably doesn't have any charge left, Anakin thought as he clicked the button. I should've thrown it out when…

Anakin's phone blazed to life.

It was hanging on at 5%, but somehow that was enough to let in a flurry of messages. Most were from Rex, some from other friends, all of them asking where Anakin was. There were also missed calls. Many were from Masters at the temple, some from the Fett family, but most of them were from Obi-Wan. Anakin clicked on his name, and his phone read:

Obi-Dork Kenobi (99+ Missed Calls)

Anakin stared at his phone. Obi-Wan had called him. Obi-Wan had put up missing posters. Anakin thought that after all this, Obi-Wan would want nothing to do with him. But then, why? Why would he do all this?

Anakin's finger hovered over Obi-Wan's name. Just one press and he could return the call, but what would that do? If anything, maybe Obi-Wan just wanted him back in order to yell at him.

Anakin laughed. "Better than just listening to the rain."

He pressed the button. Obi-Wan answered on the first ring.

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan said. There were voices murmuring around him, but they stopped immediately.

"Yeah. Wasn't sure you'd pick up. You've surprised me, old man."

"Anakin, are you alright?" Obi-Wan asked in a calm and fast voice.

"Don't know how to answer that."

"What's happening? Where are you?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Stuff," Anakin said. "Stuff happened."

"Obi-Wan, is it…" A woman's fine voice said on Obi-Wan's line, and Anakin had a pretty good idea of who it was.

"Sounds like you're having a good time. Never knew you as the guy who threw parties, Obi-Wan."

"What—"

"That was Satine, right?" Anakin let out a breathless laugh. "Guess you got a break from me, huh? Finally got to spend time with your girlfriend without having to yell at someone every day."

Obi-Wan sighed, but there was no annoyance in his tone. He just sounded tired. "Oh, Anakin. I've missed having to yell at you."

"No, you haven't."

"I have. Because it meant you were here."

"What about Satine?"

"Anakin, Satine isn't you."

Anakin let out a laugh. "I guess she is better at fighting with you than I am."

"Sometimes she even wins," Obi-Wan said, and that made Anakin laugh again. There was a brief pause before Obi-Wan continued. "Anakin, I am so sorry about your mother. I truly am."

Anakin's throat closed up. "Yeah," he said, and his voice sounded hoarse. "Me too."

Obi-Wan didn't respond. It was like he was nervous about scaring Anakin away, saying the wrong thing and having Anakin hang up. If he was being honest, Anakin was two seconds away from doing just that. He's not even sure why he was talking to Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan should be yelling at him, but he wasn't. Anakin was confused. Obi-Wan should've been grilling him for running, telling him not to come home.

Home, Anakin thought. Yeah, that's right.

"Remember what you said to me?" Anakin asked. "After my Padawan exam?"

"I do," Obi-Wan said immediately.

"Did you mean it?"

"Every word. Every word and more."

"Then why didn't you say more?"

"I should have. I should have said everything I wanted to, back then."

Anakin looked off towards the empty doorway. Beyond it was the thundering rain, harsh and unrelenting. "Why are you looking for me?"

"Because," Obi-Wan said in a gentle voice, "you're my brother, Anakin. I love you."

Anakin gasped.

Anakin had known Obi-Wan for years, and never once had Obi-Wan said that to him. He had never told Anakin that he was his brother, he had never told him he loved him. Anakin didn't want to think about it, growing up, but some part of him had always wanted to hear those words. To know that he was more than just some stupid kid Obi-Wan was forced to take care of. To know that he was accepted. To know that he was wanted by the man who had practically raised him all on his own.

And now… Anakin knew that Obi-Wan wanted him.

Obi-Wan wanted him.

Tears started flowing down Anakin's face, and Anakin was too tired to wipe them away. "Obi-Wan, I can't believe I'm saying this, but you were right."

"Anakin?"

"I was so angry," Anakin said, not caring that Obi-Wan could hear him crying. "I saw my mom's body, and I just got so angry. I went to see her, and I almost—Obi-Wan I almost fucked up. I almost fucked up so bad."

"It's alright, Anakin. It's alright," Obi-Wan said.

"How?"

"You said 'almost'. That means you held yourself back."

Anakin shook his head. "Do you even know what I tried to do?"

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that you're alright."

"I don't think I am." The puddle of rain had grown so much that it had reached Anakin, and a small pool of water was beginning to swirl around his mangled arm. Drops of water seeped into his skin, and it created a pain so harsh it made Anakin hiss. The numbness that had flooded his body began to seep away, and Anakin was beginning to feel the searing pain once more. "Obi-wan, I don't feel so good."

"What's happening?" Obi-Wan asked in a hard tone, the tone of a Jedi Master receiving orders.

Anakin lifted his arm to get it out of the water. "I just—"

Anakin cut himself off with a scream. Every fiber in his arm raged with pure, unfiltered pain that blinded his vision. Anakin dropped the arm onto his lap, but all it did was make the pain even worse. It felt like a million needles were tearing into his skin, his muscle, his bone; all of them trying to tear their way deeper into his arm.

"—nakin! Anakin!" Obi-Wan's yells filtered through the phone.

"I fucked up," Anakin whispered once he gained control of his voice. "I don't know where I am. There's nothing out here but a bunch of old buildings. Some of them don't even have fucking roofs."

"Are you still near Coruscant?"

"I was. I think. I don't know now."

"I'm on my way." Obi-Wan said something that Anakin didn't quite hear, and Anakin heard voices calling out orders and people shuffling around in the background. "Don't move. Do you hear me, Anakin? Stay right where you are."

Anakin looked out onto the street, but all he saw was a faint outline of a building, the rest obscured by the heavy rainfall. "I can't even see where I am."

"Is there anything else? A street sign? A landmark?"

Anakin looked around the building he was in. There was nothing inside—no chairs, no table, no nothing. There wasn't any paper or old bill hanging around that could give him a direction. There wasn't anything hanging on the walls, either, but…

Anakin peered his eyes and looked over the wall directly opposite him. There was an image painted on it—the only bright thing in the drab gray building. "Just some graffiti on the walls."

"What kind of art is it? A tag? A symbol?"

"I don't know. It kind of looks like a bird. Same color as your hair." There was more calling and shuffling on the other end of the line. "I'm sorry you got stuck with me, Obi-Wan. I'm really sorry."

"Don't you dare say that," Obi-Wan said in a tone so hard it sounded like an order. "We're on our way, just stay on the li—"

Obi-Wan's voice died mid-sentence. Anakin pulled the phone away from him, only to be met with a black screen.

Sharp pain crept up Anakin's arm once more, and Anakin screamed.

"—kin!"

Anakin's eyes blinked open.

"—nakin!"

Anakin blinked again. He wasn't sure when he'd passed out, or how much time had passed. For a split second, he thought he might've been dreaming. A delusion brought on by pain and shock.

But Anakin made his eyes stay open, and he heard his name.

"Anakin!" A man screamed, and despite the pouring rain, Anakin heard him perfectly. "Where are you? Anakin!"

"Anakin!" Screamed a woman just as loud.

Anakin lifted his head and looked through the empty doorway. "Obi-Wan?"

It looked the same as before—a bunch of old buildings, a fair few trees in the distance, and broken pavement that served as the road. But now there was a car there. A car with blinking lights, a fresh coat of yellow paint, and a door that was left half-open.

There were two shapes out in the distance. One had blonde hair and a blue coat that looked expensive, even from far away, and the other had a long cloak that blew all around them in the raging winds, uncovering a head full of bright red hair. The two people darted in and out of abandoned shops on the other side of the street, and a man's voice called out one word over and over again.

"Anakin! Anakin, are you here? Answer me!" The man's voice rose with every word. It sounded tired. It sounded desperate.

It sounded like Obi-Wan.

"Anakin!"

That voice, teetering between two accents from half a world away, was a voice Anakin would recognize anywhere.

"He came," Anakin whispered. "He really came."

Anakin closed his eyes and braced himself for the pain. With the only strength he had left in him, Anakin pushed himself off the ground. His right arm burned as he moved upwards. His legs ached from exhaustion. But still, Anakin forced himself to stand. His mangled arm hung limply by his side, and Anakin shambled his way towards the building's dilapidated exit.

"O—Obi-Wan!" Anakin screamed through his chattering teeth. "I'm h—h—here!"

Obi-Wan turned around. The moment he saw Anakin, he burst into the fastest sprint Anakin had ever seen him do. He ran up to Anakin, and Anakin all but fell into his arms.

"Anakin." Obi-Wan's voice was breathless as he tightened his hold around Anakin. "It's alright, Anakin. You're safe now. You're safe."

Anakin dug his face into Obi-Wan's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Obi-Wan. I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, Anakin. It's alright." Obi-Wan hugged Anakin tightly, just like he did after Anakin's Padawan exam. When Anakin was afraid he'd be cast away and Obi-Wan had promised he would never do that. Anakin had believed him, and now Obi-Wan had stayed true to his word.

Dark spots pricked Anakin's vision. His knees sagged, and he felt himself collapse further in Obi-Wan's hold.

His brother called for Satine, and just as they heard the car's engine roar to life, Anakin's world went dark.

Chapter Text

It had been over seven hours since Anakin had been wheeled into surgery. Seven hours, and Obi-Wan still had yet to receive any significant update.

A slender hand took his own. Obi-Wan glanced over to Satine, and she gave him a small, tired smile. Her hair and coat had dried, but strands of blonde hair had fallen out of her bun to cover the growing eye bags on her face. If Satine, perfectly and beautifully composed Satine, looked like that, then Obi-Wan could scarcely imagine what he looked like. "It will be alright," Satine said. "They have the best doctors here, and Anakin's strong. He'll be alright, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan did his best to return the smile. But once again, his tongue failed him, and he settled for just gripping Satine's hand.

"Duchess Kryze," said a deep voice. Obi-Wan and Satine raised their heads to find Mace Windu walking down the near-empty hospital corridor. His face was as unreadable as ever, but Obi-Wan was surprised to notice the slight eye bags on Windu's face.

Ever the posh princess, Satine straightened herself up in her chair before speaking. "You know I don't go by that title in this country. Here I am merely an ambassador, and we're an entire ocean away from Mandalore."

"That is true," Windu concedes with a low nod. "Ambassador Kryze, may I borrow Obi-Wan for a moment?"

Satine squeezed Obi-Wan's hand again. "Go," she said in a soft voice. "I'll stay here in case the doctor comes out."

If the moment were not so bleak, Obi-Wan would have thanked her and given her a kiss, even if they were still in public. But Obi-Wan was tired, and all he could do was nod. Satine merely gave him a kind smile and helped him rise out of the hard hospital chair. The fact that she could be so understanding and kind when Obi-Wan was consumed with worry—it was one of the many reasons he loved her. He would have to tell her that later.

Obi-Wan let Windu lead him further down the corridor, just far away enough from the nurse's station to not be overheard. "I know that this isn't the news you want to hear right now," Windu said, "but Sharina Parsons turned herself in."

Obi-Wan let out a long breath. Ever since the police had arrived to tell him about Shmi's death and Anakin's sudden disappearance, he had suspected that the police's prime suspect would ultimately be the culprit. But as Windu said, it did little to assuage Obi-Wan's worry.

"She was a spice smuggler," Windu continued. "According to her testimony, she asked Shmi Skywalker to help her contact a dealer. She knew that Shmi was behind on rent payments, and the dealer had a grudge against Parsons, so Shmi was convinced to seal the deal.

"They delivered the spice to Coruscant City, but their client found out that the spices were tainted. The substances had been mixed wrong. It would've made users go into shock, but the client bought them anyway. Shmi got angry. Said that they had to report the client to the police before he could sell it. Parsons said she panicked and hit Shmi over the head. Shmi hit a step and… she bled out."

Obi-Wan sighed. Anakin had lived with the hope that his mother was merely missing. He had hoped, and Obi-Wan was going to have to tell him that his mother's been dead for nearly ten years. But Anakin had to make it through the night. He had to…

Windu laid a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder for a brief moment, and it was enough for Obi-Wan to pull himself back to the present. Obi-Wan nodded to Windu, urging his friend to continue.

"Parsons said she put Shmi in her car and let it fall over the cliff at the east of Coruscant," Windu shook his head, and from the way the cheeks tightened his face, Obi-Wan could see he was doing it out of disgust. "It toppled into the forest. No one found it until a tip came in… from Parsons' daughter. It turns out that her mother talks in her sleep. The daughter said that she heard Parsons mumbling about how she was sorry—that she was nothing but a murderer." Windu huffed a breath through his nose. "Parsons said she doesn't want an investigation as to why Anakin was at her house, and I've received assurance that the police won't question him about it. I know it's little comfort, but at least it's an answer to everything. Something that may bring Anakin closure."

"It won't bring his arm back," Obi-Wan said, and they were the first words he'd spoken since the nurses had rushed his brother to the operating room.

"Parsons said she had nothing to do with that," Windu said. "She didn't even know that Anakin was at her house until the police checked the DNA of the vomit splatter in her backyard. What's incredible is that the Tatooine police had officers stationed across the entire street, and not one of them saw Anakin sneak past them." Windu shook his head in disapproval, but Obi-Wan could tell by the look in Windu's eyes that his friend was impressed.

"I believe her," Obi-Wan said, and his voice sounded as tired as he felt. "Whoever did this to Anakin… They didn't do it in self-defense, or just to break his arm. They did it to cause him pain. They wanted him to hurt, and it's possible that they left him to die."

Windu didn't say anything. He just nodded, and it was enough to show that he agreed with Obi-Wan's words.

"Obi!" Satine ran down the hallway and gently touched Obi-Wan's shoulder. "The doctor's here. Anakin's out of surgery."

Obi-Wan's chest rattled. Grabbing Satine's hand, the two of them ran back to the waiting room, Windu following close behind. A doctor in wrinkled scrubs stood next to the nurse's station, and upon seeing him, Obi-Wan immediately asked, "Did it work?"

If anyone asked Anakin what waking up from the surgery felt like, he would say that he barely remembered anything. But that was only half true.

Anakin remembered him waking up to low light. He felt the effects of heavy drugs fill his system, and he looked around the place he was in. It was a clean room that smelled of disinfectant. It was a room where a man with bright red hair was sitting in a plastic chair next to Anakin. The man—Obi-Wan, it had to be—leaned over to press a button. Something about a nurse.

Anakin tried to move. He tried, but everything felt sluggish. He felt like he'd been run over by a car. But he hadn't been. He knew that he'd avoided the car.

Car? Yeah. A car that was driven by a tall man. A tall man that had broken Anakin's—

Anakin looked down at his right arm. It was there, but it looked different. There were bandages right below his elbow. His arm was gray. But arms weren't gray. They weren't, unless…

Anakin remembered trying to lift his arm. He remembered moving it slightly, but the gray bit… he couldn't feel it. He couldn't feel it at all.

So when Anakin would say that he didn't remember, what he really meant was that he didn't remember what happened after realizing half of his arm was gone. Replaced by a piece of machinery. The only bits he could remember were the panic. The confusion. The view of Obi-Wan's face as he tried to hold Anakin's shaking body still, and the sudden sea of drug-induced darkness.

It was a few days before Anakin became calm and coherent enough to properly talk to Obi-Wan, even though his guardian seemed to live at Anakin's bedside. Even when Anakin could hardly stay awake.

So when Anakin was sure that he could actually talk to Obi-Wan without falling into a string of drugged-up babbling, he asked the question. "How'd you find me?"

"Bo-Katan." Obi-Wan leaned forward in the hard hospital chair and rested his elbows on his knees. Part of Anakin's head told him that Obi-Wan was looking better now, but he wasn't entirely sure what had changed. Had Obi-Wan's eye bags gotten lighter? Did he shave? "That tag you saw, it's the tag for her anarchist group."

"Deathwatch?" Anakin asked, and was relieved that he was alert enough to remember. "I thought they were only active in Mandalore."

"They were." Obi-Wan smirked. "Ever since her sister became Mandalore's ambassador and moved to Coruscant City, Bo-Katan's expanded her range. Satine figured it out right away. She called Bo-Katan and demanded a list of every place that fit the description you gave us. That helped us narrow the search."

Anakin shook his head. "It couldn't have been that easy."

Obi-Wan sighed and steepled his fingers. "It wasn't. A store clerk called us and said that he thought he saw you south of Coruscant. After that, every master from the temple got together to try and piece together where you were. Even some members of the Fett family came to help with the search. The Deathwatch tag, it was the last clue we needed. We split up to search every area we could. Satine and I just happened to pick the right one."

Anakin chuckled in disbelief. Just imagining Master Windu running a search operation made him laugh. "Everyone? Damn. I'm sure Master Yoda wasn't happy about cutting his nap short for me."

"You could say that."

"I could." Anakin's eyes trailed down to his right arm. He was only on light pain meds now, and he could see the slight lights on his new forearm blink up at him. "I bet every master at the temple is pissed at me. I think even Rex is pissed at me."

Out of the corner of his eyes, Anakin saw Obi-Wan shake his head. "Any anger they had has faded. What's important is that you're safe."

Anakin bit his lip and focused on his new forearm. They'd lifted the back of his bed so that he was half-sitting, and it was enough for him to not strain himself to look at his arm. He had heard about the new prosthetics that Coruscant City had been developing, but hearing and seeing were two different things. The silver metal gleamed under the hospital room's lights, and even though the doctors hadn't fully activated all the sensors yet, they'd activated just enough for Anakin to start getting a feel for his new arm. He could only move the fingers for now, but it was still a strange thing to be able to move a body part Anakin couldn't even really feel.

Anakin tried moving them again, and he was pretty surprised to see all five fingers listen to his command and tap the hospital bed. He tried again, and this time he made each one move one by one. The thumb. The pointer finger. Middle finger. Ring finger. Pinky. They all moved when he told them to, and even though Anakin couldn't feel them tap the bed, he knew that his fingers were listening to him. Who knows how the doctors managed to connect his nerves to a machine of all things, but they'd done it.

"Does it hurt?" Obi-Wan asked in a low voice.

"They have some pretty good pain meds here." Anakin grinned at Obi-Wan, but the smile faded when he saw the look on his brother's face. Obi-Wan was worried. Anakin saw it in the way Obi-Wan's fingers tightened together, in the way he looked over Anakin with guilt in his eyes. It wasn't something Anakin was used to seeing in Obi-Wan. Anakin hated it. "It used to, but not anymore," he said honestly.

Obi-Wan nodded, and his face relaxed a bit. "The doctors said that your arm still has to heal some more, but that prosthetic is so advanced you'll hardly feel the difference. It's so seamless you'll be able to hold your saber. Just like… like before…"

Anakin straightened himself up. Obi-Wan didn't always say the things Anakin wished he would say, but he always managed to say something. Seeing him be so quiet, it felt… wrong. "Obi-Wan?"

"Don't ever scare me like that again," Obi-Wan said, fast and quick. He closed his eyes and hung his head. "Even if you leave, tell me where you are going. Tell me you're safe. And if you aren't, then—" A wet sound choked him. Obi-Wan sighed, but to Anakin, it sounded like he was sobbing. Or trying not to.

"I know." Anakin pushed down the phlegm in his throat. "I'm sorry, Obi-Wan. I'm sorry."

Obi-Wan shook his head and looked back at Anakin. "If there is anyone who should be forgiven, it is I." Tears started to well up in his eyes, and Anakin felt like someone had just punched his heart. In all the years he'd known Obi-Wan, he'd never seen him cry. Not once. Not even during the days after Qui-Gon's death.

"I should've listened to you," Anakin said.

"And I should've tried to better understand you." Obi-Wan's breath shuddered. "I should've done everything I could to understand your pain. I shouldn't have yelled. I should've found you sooner." Tears started falling down Obi-Wan's face, and he didn't try to wipe them away. "I've failed you, Anakin. I failed, and now you have to pay the price."

Anakin couldn't take it. This was Obi-Wan. Stubborn, impassable Obi-Wan. He shouldn't be crying like this. Not because of him. "It wasn't just you, you know. I didn't do much to help."

"Doesn't matter," Obi-Wan said. "Forgive me, Anakin. Forgive me for not being enough to help you. Forgive me for not understanding you."

Anakin didn't know what to say. He'd never seen Obi-Wan this vulnerable. Sure, he'd been stubborn, but Obi-Wan… He still tried. He tried to help, even if Anakin hadn't seen it that way. And yet, Obi-Wan had apologized.

Anakin's chest filled itself with something. Surprise? A twisted form of satisfaction? Something else? He didn't know, but what he did know was that Obi-Wan was getting way too serious. And when that happened, well…

Anakin grinned. "So the all-powerful Obi-Wan Kenobi couldn't crack the mind of a teenager? You're losing your touch, old man."

After a moment of shock, Obi-Wan barked out a short laugh. "Oh, Anakin. Only you could find humor in something like this."

"It's one of my many charms." Anakin's grin faltered. "How much trouble am I in?"

"I think you've gotten yourself into enough trouble already." Obi-Wan leaned forward and placed a hand at the top of Anakin's head. "But you're still staying in my sight for a long while."

Anakin let out a dramatic sigh. "That's a tough bargain, Obi-Wan… But I think I can live with that."

"That's a very vivid description," Sergeant Syndulla said as he finished writing in his notebook.

From his hospital bed, Anakin shrugged. "What can I say? I hold grudges, and I wanna remember the face of the man who fu—screwed," Anakin corrected when he remembered Obi-Wan was still in the room, "—up my arm."

"Thank you for your time." The sergeant turned to Obi-Wan, who was standing to the side with his arms crossed over his chest. "He's a fast one. Do you know that?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "Unfortunately, I very much do."

Sergeant Syndulla huffed in amusement, but his serious expression came back almost immediately. "Mr Skywalker, there's another reason why I came here."

Anakin's eyes followed the sergeant as he went to the door of Anakin's room. He said something to another officer who was just outside, and when he returned, he had a medium-sized duffel bag with him. A bag which he set down on Anakin's bed. "These are your mother's personal effects. Mrs Parsons has accepted a plea deal, and since she won't go to court, there's no reason for us to hold onto these any longer. As her next of kin, they're yours now."

Anakin reached out his arms and pulled the bag towards him. His prosthetic arm hadn't been fully activated yet, so the movement was awkward and a bit painful, but he did it. He pulled the bag onto his lap, and to his surprise, it felt light. "Thanks," he said, in a voice just above a whisper.

Sergeant Syndulla nodded solemnly. "I'll be taking my leave. Good luck with your recovery."

Anakin nodded in return, and the sergeant left the room.

"Are you alright, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked. He walked closer to the bed, and Anakin got a good look at his face. His brother had been oddly quiet during Anakin's talk with the sergeant. It was the first time Anakin had described the weird man who tore his arm apart, and he expected Obi-Wan to ask as many questions as the sergeant did. But Obi-Wan didn't, and that could only mean one thing.

"You know who Qui-Gon's Master was, don't you?"

Obi-Wan sighed, but nodded. "I do."

Anakin fiddled with the straps of the duffle bag. They hardly ever spoke about Qui-Gon, and Anakin could hear it in the way Obi-Wan spoke cautiously. Like he had to measure every word before talking about his adoptive father. "Will the temple do anything about it?"

"It is likely," Obi-Wan said. "When matters surrounding the Jedi and the Sith crop up, law enforcement typically works with the temple in order to solve these disputes."

"So the guy's a Sith now?"

There was a brief pause. "He is," Obi-Wan said quietly. "His name is Count Dooku. I've never met him myself, but Da told me that he left the Order to assume power in the province he was from. Some time during all that… he fell to the dark side."

"This bit isn't your fault you know," Anakin said before Obi-Wan could think about apologizing. It was strange enough to have heard it once, and Anakin didn't want to go through that again. "You didn't let Qui-Gon die. And if anyone's to blame for me losing my arm, it's this Dooku guy. He even has a name I can hate. Doo-ku. Come on! It already sounds stupid!"

Obi-Wan lifted his hand to cover his mouth, but Anakin could still hear the laughing filtering itself through. "I suppose you're right. Though that doesn't make him any less dangerous."

"Yeah, yeah. I know that already." Anakin waved his prosthetic hand in front of Obi-Wan to emphasize his point. Any large movements were still clunky, and it took all of Anakin's concentration to not accidentally hit something. The arm soon grew heavy, and Anakin was quickly forced to lay it back down onto the bed. His eyes trailed the gleaming silver. "I wonder what Qui-Gon would say about all this."

"He'd probably say something wise." Obi-Wan came forward and sat at the edge of Anakin's bed. "Something about all of this being the will of the Force and how it challenges us to overcome all obstacles. Then he'd make an off-hand comment about something completely unrelated to any of this. Probably something about how good the food in Ryloth City is."

Anakin raised his metallic arm. "And what would he say about this?"

Obi-Wan looked at the arm and thought about it for a moment. "He'd probably ask if you could build a saber directly into it."

Anakin burst out laughing, and it only took a second for Obi-Wan to join in.

Two days later, Obi-Wan pulled their old car into the garage. Despite getting discharged from the hospital, until Anakin got full clearance from the doctor and his physical therapist, he was gonna have to settle with Obi-Wan driving him around again, just like he was gonna have to settle with Obi-Wan being around.

"Did the temple really have to put you on babysitting duty?" Anakin asked as he stepped out of the car. "They do know I'm not a kid anymore, right?"

"You aren't? I'm afraid I hadn't noticed." Obi-Wan furthered his point by opening the trunk and pulling out the bag full of Anakin's stuff. "I merely asked for a couple of months' leave, and I'll be back to full-time work once your arm has healed. Until then, you can see it as me being on holiday."

"Sure." Anakin walked over and used his perfectly functional left hand to grab his bag and sling it over his shoulders. "The day you take a vacation is the day the world freezes over."

"The earth is actually heating up," Obi-Wan said as he entered the house.

"Exactly my point."

Anakin followed him inside. Being back home felt a little strange. For most of the time that he'd been a runaway, he'd thought about stepping foot here again. But now he was back. He was back to the old faux leather furniture, the always-clean kitchen, and even the hooks on the walls that always had some Jedi robe hanging from them. He was back, but… There was something new.

Anakin stepped out of the kitchen and into the living room. It had always been fairly sparse—something about a minimalist look and keeping it clean. But there was… more to it, now. There were photos on the corner tables, with pictures of either Anakin or Satine. There was a photo of Obi-Wan with some of the temple masters standing for a professional picture. There weren't many, but they were there.

Anakin looked up at the living room wall, and he was pretty sure he stopped breathing for a second. On the far wall of the living room was a collection of photographs. They were in one of those large frames that let you put several pictures in them, and they were all from one single moment.

The pictures were of the Jedi temple in Coruscant. It showed the Council Masters, the main training room, and… Anakin. One photo showed him kneeling in front of Master Windu as the man was lowering a practice saber onto Anakin's shoulder. Another photo showed the entire Council applauding Anakin. And another showed Obi-Wan clasping a string of silka beads into Anakin's hair.

Anakin felt more than heard Obi-Wan approach him. "I thought pictures weren't allowed at Padawan ceremonies," Anakin said. He turned to Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan was smirking.

"Only members of the Order are barred from taking pictures," he said. "Cody, on the other hand, is just an affiliate of the temple. As is the entire Fett family. There are no rules against him taking photographs—especially if they take them through the window when the Council isn't looking."

"So you've had these all this time?" Anakin huffed in disbelief. "Why're they out now?"

Obi-Wan's eyes turned to the photos, and when he spoke again, his voice was both sad and happy. "Because they should have been here many years ago."

"So when's Satine moving in?" Anakin asked no less than three seconds after Obi-Wan had seen Satine to the door and bid her good night.

Obi-Wan sighed and joined Anakin on the couch. "When you stop bringing it up."

"So… never?"

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at his brother. "If that's what you decide to ensure, then be my guest."

Anakin smirked and turned back to the podrace playing on the television. It was a rerun of last night's race, but Obi-Wan knew that Anakin was likely watching it again to analyze every little movement. That keen focus was part of the reason why Obi-Wan's coffee table was filled with advanced mathematics worksheets, university brochures for every university with well-renowned STEM programs, and flyers for part-time flight schools that Anakin could start attending once his arm got fully cleared by his physical therapist. How Anakin managed to do all of this while still getting top grades in his class and excelling at his Padawan exercises was a feat far beyond Obi-Wan's comprehension. It was a feat that filled Obi-Wan with pride.

Obi-Wan smiled to himself and turned back to the podrace, though his mind was thinking on other matters. Ever since 'the incident', as he and Anakin had taken to calling it, things had gotten a lot better at home. There were still spats every now and then, but everything felt calmer. Satine had noticed it immediately, of course. "You and Anakin seem to have reached a middle ground," she'd said earlier that night, before she had to leave to prepare for an ambassador meeting the following morning. "I see what you mean now when you said that you aren't his father. Being brothers suits the two of you much better."

Obi-Wan's eyes glanced up to the living room wall, where the pictures from Anakin's padawan exam were displayed. But it wasn't just those photos on the wall, anymore. Next to the collection was a framed photo of Obi-Wan's Jedi ceremony. Obi-Wan was facing the camera with a serious smile, his padawan braid gone—cut off by Qui-Gon himself. Behind him was his father, standing there with a proud expression as he placed a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. It was the only official photo to be allowed at Obi-Wan's knighting ceremony, and who knows how, but Anakin had found a copy.

When Obi-Wan came downstairs one morning to find it hanging on the wall, well, Obi-Wan had felt all the air in his lungs vanish. He'd always thought that putting up pictures of Qui-Gon would hurt, but… it didn't. If anything, it was comforting. It reminded him of the days when Qui-Gon was here.

The podrace slowed down to an end. Obi-Wan stretched out his arms in exhaustion. It was getting late, and he wasn't a night owl like Anakin. If he wanted to avoid his brother making fun of him for yawning before midnight, it was best for him to make a hasty retreat. "I'll be retiring to bed in a moment. You should, too…"

Obi-Wan looked over to see Anakin staring at the television. He was still looking at the screen, but his gaze was unfocused. It was as if Anakin had tuned out everything around him.

"Are you alright, Anakin? I don't think I've seen you this quiet outside of Master Luminara's lectures."

His brother did not respond.

"Anakin?"

"I went to kill her."

Anakin spoke that single sentence quickly. Like a confession that was never meant to be heard. Obi-Wan was taken aback, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on edge. "Anakin?"

"Sharina," Anakin said without looking at Obi-Wan. "That's what I went to do."

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to speak, but Anakin continued before he got the chance.

"I was ready to kill her. I snuck into her backyard, but she was talking with a friend. I waited. And while I was waiting, I thought about how she deserved to die. I thought about that, and then I thought that her kids deserved to pay the price, too. That they deserved to die for what their mother did to mine." Anakin laughed bitterly and looked down at his hands. "But I couldn't go through with it."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Oh, Anakin."

"They should kick me out of the Order." Anakin pressed his prosthetic fingers into the palm of his left hand. Hard. "Fuck, I shouldn't even be here."

"Do not say that." Obi-Wan reached over and pulled the metal fingers away from Anakin's palm, but they still left bright red spots on the inside of his brother's hand. "Anakin, we all have thoughts we shouldn't have. Thoughts that make us wish to do impossible things."

"I wanted to do it, though," Anakin whispered. "I wanted to kill her. I wanted to kill children."

"But you didn't. You didn't, Anakin."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath. There was once a time he would've responded to Anakin's confession with worry disguised as anger, but now he couldn't do that. He had to respond gently. He had to respond without the anger. "You speak in past tense. Does that mean you still want to do it?"

"No. No, I don't. I—I don't…" Anakin pressed his eyes shut, and his entire face contorted itself. As if he was in pain. "At the hospital, you said you failed me. Obi-Wan, if you failed me, then that means that I failed you. I almost did something terrible. I—I almost…"

Obi-Wan gripped his brother's shoulders and turned Anakin towards him. "Anakin. Look at me. Now."

Anakin opened his eyes, but he looked wounded. He looked frightened.

Before the incident, Obi-Wan would have talked to Anakin as a Jedi master. As someone who needed to guide him on the right path. But things had changed. They had to change, because Obi-Wan couldn't lose Anakin's trust again. So instead of keeping all his thoughts and feelings to himself, like he once thought was the right thing to do, he said everything he wanted to say. Everything he wanted Anakin to know.

"You did not fail me," Obi-Wan said. "Sharina Parsons and her children are alive. Whatever thoughts you had, you didn't go through with them. That's what matters. The dark side of your mind nearly consumed you, but you brought yourself back to the light. And you did it all by yourself, Anakin."

Anakin twisted his mouth to one side. "I didn't do it by myself. When I was there, I thought about what my mom would think. I thought about how sad I'd make her if she could see me."

"Anakin—"

"And I thought about you. I imagined just how disappointed you'd be, and that… That made me realize what I was doing." Anakin's shoulders tensed themselves beneath Obi-Wan's grip. "I should be punished. I should be."

"No. You shouldn't. And if the Force, or anyone else, believes you do, then I think that losing your arm is punishment enough."

Anakin was quiet for a very long moment. Anakin lost the tension in his shoulders, and it didn't look like he wished to run away. More than anything, he looked tired. Like he did during those first agonizing days in the hospital. When Obi-Wan had to sit at Anakin's bedside and wait for his exhausted brother to recover from the surgery. "What happens if I do something?" He asked. "Something that turns me into a worse disappointment than I already am."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No," he whispered. "Anakin, I am proud of you."

Anakin's eyes lit up, like a bright flame being reignited from its cinders, and seeing that let Obi-Wan smile. "I am proud, and I promise, you are not a disappointment. You aren't, and you never will be."

"Come on, Obi-Wan," Anakin pleaded as his sword clashed against his brother's. "It's one night."

With a swift side-step, Obi-Wan dislodged his practice sword and retaliated with a fast series of quick blows Anakin was forced to block. "And you're still grounded for another three weeks."

Anakin resisted the urge to groan mid-spar. Obi-Wan's blows forced him to back up, but then Obi-Wan pulled back. He raised his blade high, getting ready for a downward strike, and he used the moment to channel all his energy into a forward lunge—aiming the tip of his blade directly at Obi-Wan's now-exposed side. Anakin lunged—

And was immediately met with Obi-Wan's saber twisting itself around his. Anakin lost his grip, and Obi-Wan knocked the wooden blade out of his hands.

Obi-Wan pointed the tip of his wooden saber to Anakin's chin. "You really need to pay more attention to your opponent's misdirects," he said. "And you are not going to that ceremony."

Anakin huffed and went to go pick up his saber. After over a year of physical therapy, Anakin's prosthetic hand was working just as well as his old one did. It worked, but he still couldn't beat Obi-Wan in a one-on-one fight. "I promised Rex. Come on, you're best friends with Cody! You know how big of a deal this is!"

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows and went over to the bench where they kept their water bottles and spare equipment. "So you made a promise you couldn't keep? I thought I taught you better than that. And you know I would've let you go if you had asked me beforehand instead of committing yourself without my approval."

Anakin sighed. He knew that, but he'd been hoping to bank on the 'better to ask for forgiveness than permission' saying.

It'd been over a year since 'the incident'. Ever since then, Obi-Wan had established some pretty strict rules for Anakin. Until Anakin officially starts university in the fall, Anakin was supposed to always let Obi-Wan know where he was going, and if he somehow forgot, then he had to answer Obi-Wan's first call. Not the second. Not the third. The first.

Anakin knew that he'd really scared Obi-Wan back then. It was something that, even more than a year later, still ate at him. So even though he was eighteen now and had already graduated high school, he kept sticking to those rules… At least, until last month. Anakin was so caught up in spending time with Rex before his friend went off to the military academy, he kind of forgot to tell Obi-Wan that he and some of the Fett brothers were going on a little road trip to celebrate. A road trip that took them to the Coruscant cliffs. Where there was no cell service. And that Anakin wouldn't be home until late. Really late. Like, 5 am late.

So when Anakin returned in the early morning the next day and saw that the lights in the house were turned on, he figured he was in deep shit. And yeah, getting lectured by Obi-Wan for an hour and getting grounded for two months counted as pretty deep shit. But next week was Rex's military oath ceremony. He and all the other new cadets would take their oaths and get formally accepted into the Kamino Military Academy, and then Anakin wouldn't see Rex for two years. The academy had a tie-in program with Coruscant University, so when the cadets officially graduated from the four-year program, they'd get a direct pass to an advanced standing bachelor's course. But Rex was Rex Fett, and he'd been training for this his entire life. He'd told Anakin he only needed two years to get through the academy, and Anakin believed him.

That still meant that Anakin wouldn't see his best friend for two years. That was a long time, and Anakin was gonna make damn sure he could see Rex off before then. "It's not a promise I can't keep if I do some convincing."

Obi-Wan lowered the towel he was using to wipe the sweat from his face. "Oh, really?" He asked without hiding his amusement.

Anakin held his tongue back and went straight to his bag. From it, he pulled out a single large object and held it out to Obi-Wan. "Take it."

Obi-Wan's eyes shot wide open. He dropped the towel and grabbed the black bag. "Anakin, isn't this… your mother's?" He was careful with the old faux leather purse, turning it over gently in his hands. "Why did you bring this out?"

"It's insurance." Watching someone else touch his mother's purse made Anakin's heart ache, but he knew that if there was anyone he could trust to treat it right, it was Obi-Wan. "If I come back late, or don't come back at all, you get to keep it. You can even give it to Satine if you want, though I think she'd think you've gone crazy. Black doesn't really suit her."

"Anakin, I would never keep this from you." Obi-Wan held the purse out for Anakin to take, but Anakin just pushed it back into Obi-Wan's hands.

"And you won't have to. Just let me go out this one night, even if it's for an hour. I'll be back right away."

"Why are you so insistent upon this?"

Anakin sighed. "Because I promised. And… Because I want to earn your trust again."

Obi-Wan furrowed his eyebrows and looked down at the purse. Anakin crossed his fingers and waited. And then, after several agonizingly slow seconds, Obi-Wan said, "I better not be keeping this."

Anakin gasped. If he was being honest, he wasn't expecting that to actually work. "Really?"

Obi-Wan lifted a hand. "Three hours. One second later and you're grounded for another month. And I don't care if you'll already be in university. You'll just have to accept being the only one in your classes who still gets grounded."

Anakin's smile turned into a wince. "Bit extreme, don't you think, Master?"

"Fine. Another two months."

"Obi-Wan checking in on you again?" Rex asked with a cocky smile.

"No, actually." Anakin shoved his phone back in his pocket and grinned. "I'm a changed man, Rex. I can tell Obi-Wan I'll be busy for the next few days and he won't even ask what I'm up to. He'll just go to sleep like a good old man and I can focus on all the shit I have to get done."

Rex huffed and leaned back against the booth seat they were in. "Obi-Wan should've seen you last week," he said as he took a long sip of his beer. "I've never seen someone do a handstand for five minutes without retching that full bottle of tequila you drank. Much less with a fake hand."

Anakin smiled to himself. It was still strange having Rex back from the military academy. Sure, the guy still had the same shaved head as ever, but now he carried himself like a proper soldier. Calm, focused, and fast to react to anything and everything. He'd finally joined Anakin at Coruscant University a month ago, and now they had two years to enjoy their life of relative freedom before they graduated. Rex would get shifted from reserve corps to active duty, and Anakin would—well, Anakin was hoping he'd get closer to becoming an official Jedi.

Anakin gripped his own beer with his prosthetic hand. Though it was covered up by the thick glove he always wore, it still clinked slightly against the glass. "I think this hand was more stable than the real one."

"Gotta get me one of those someday." Rex lifted his glass. "Cheers. To being on the same continent."

Anakin raised his glass in return. "To being on the same fucking continent." The two of them clinked their beers and chugged half of them down. "And thank the Force that we don't have to wait 'til we're twenty-one to drink these. Hitting twenty is rough as it is, but hitting twenty and not being able to drink? That's too harsh."

"Took them long enough to switch the age." Rex huffed. "Cody keeps tellin' me about how he and Obi-Wan had to sneak booze underneath Obi-Wan padawan robe. He just never stops complaining."

"Really? Huh, good to know." Anakin took another sip of his beer and smiled to himself, already thinking of how he'd spring this little piece of knowledge on Obi-Wan. Maybe he'd do it in front of Satine. That would make the following conversation a lot more entertaining than it already would be.

An influx of voices and laughter filtered through the bar. Anakin and Rex looked over to see a group of women, most of whom looked older than them, enter the bar and head towards the counter.

"Grad students?" Rex wondered out loud. It made sense. This bar was close to the university, and it was pretty rare to see anyone who wasn't tied to the school in some way or another.

As the girls looked over the drinks menu, Anakin found himself watching them. More specifically, he found himself watching one of them—a girl at the center of the group. She wasn't tall, but she carried herself with a sense of elegance. Her brown hair was tied up in a simple bun, and it let Anakin get a view of her beautiful, stunning face. She had big brown eyes, thin eyebrows, and a beauty mark on her left cheek. And she really was beautiful. If Anakin were to describe her, he would've said she looked like an angel.

Wait, Anakin thought, even as it felt like he was about to stop breathing. Is it really…

"Be back in a minute, Rex." Anakin pushed himself out of the booth and made his way towards the counter. Most of the girls had left to go grab a table, and the only one left at the bar was the woman with brown hair, still looking over the menu.

"Hey," Anakin said, and the woman turned to him. "This is a shot in the dark, and you probably don't remember me, but is your name—"

"Ani?" The woman said. Her voice was light, and when she spoke, it looked as if her eyes were sparkling. "I mean, my name's Padmé, but is your name…"

"Anakin," Anakin said. "You called me 'Ani' years ago."

"At the bus stop. You were just a kid then." And Padmé—Padmé—let out a chiming laugh. "Who knew you'd grow up into such a handsome man."

Anakin grinned. "And you're as beautiful as ever."

The world fell away, and Anakin could only see the woman in front of him. At the wonderful, gorgeous woman who looked up at him with a smile in her eyes. She was beautiful, and Force, Anakin just couldn't stop smiling.

"I think proper reintroductions are in order." Without looking away from Anakin, the woman raised her hand. "I'm Padmé Amidala."

"I'm Anakin Skywalker." Anakin reached out, took her smooth, slim hand in both of his, and admired the woman in front of him. "It's an honor to finally meet you again."

"My, I've never seen you so besotted with anyone, Anakin," Satine said suddenly.

Anakin's head shot up from where he was reading the messages on his phone. He immediately regretted that decision, because both Obi-Wan and Satine were smirking at him.

"Padmé must teach us her ways," Obi-Wan said as he poured himself and Satine another glass of wine. It was their weekly family dinner, and it definitely wasn't Anakin third-wheeling Obi-Wan and Satine's date. Definitely not. "Keeping Anakin's attention for this long truly is a masterful art."

"Haha," Anakin deadpanned, turning back to his phone. He really wished Padmé was here right now. Soon after Anakin had met her again the year prior, Padmé had gotten herself a job at the Mandalorian embassy to supplement her Masters of Economics, Politics, and International Relations. Through that, she met Satine on her own terms, and she soon started tagging along for the dinners. With her there, the dinners felt more like a proper double-date, but with her in Naboo, Anakin was stuck being the third wheel. Again. "She's just telling me how her trip back home is going. So excuse me for trying to be a good boyfriend and show her I'm actually interested."

Obi-Wan huffed and took a sip of his wine. He'd cut his hair short this year, but he did keep the beard. "Well, while you're at it, you can invite her to our wedding. It will save us the trouble of writing out an extra invitation."

Anakin's phone dropped to the floor. "What?"

Anakin whipped his head over to Satine, who was still wearing that amused smirk, and she lifted her left hand out from under the table. And sure enough, an elegant ring with a large ruby decorated her finger. Her ring finger.

Anakin, who was starting to wonder whether or not he was dreaming, turned back to Obi-Wan. "You finally did it?"

Obi-Wan looked insultingly confused, and that was the last bit of confirmation Anakin needed. "What do you mean 'finally'—"

"Yes!" Anakin pushed himself out of his chair and jumped for pure joy in the dining room. "About fucking time!"

"Language, Anakin!" Obi-Wan said.

"Oh, it's alright," Satine replied. And as Anakin kept cheering and throwing his fists into the air, Satine started to laugh. "He's an adult, Obi. I think we can tolerate a swear word here and there. Especially when there's good news to share."

"Oh, you have no idea, Satine," Anakin said as he sat back down. "He bought that ring last year! Obi-Wan probably had to scrape dust off of it before giving it to you!"

That made Satine laugh even harder. "That does not surprise me. Obi-Wan has a habit of taking years to process any kind of emotional decision. I was half-expecting to remain unmarried for life."

Anakin laughed with her. And when Obi-Wan gave both of them his trademark 'you're being childish' stare, they just laughed harder!

"I feel so bad for Qui-Gon," Anakin said as he patted Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Making him wait this long for you to get married. I bet he's finally stopped rolling in his grave now!"

"If there's any reason for Da to roll in his grave, it will be because of you, Anakin. Not I." Obi-Wan shook his head and took another sip of his wine. "And here I was about to ask you to be my best man."

Anakin's laughter stopped dead in its tracks. "What?"

"A best man, Anakin," Obi-Wan said with a smirk. "You know, the one who's usually next to the groom. I know you've never been to a wedding, but honestly, I didn't expect this to be a gap in your general knowledge. Did you, Satine?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

Satine raised an eyebrow in return. "I will say, that is fairly unexpected. Even coming from Anakin."

"First off, screw both of you," Anakin said before turning to Obi-Wan. "And second, are you sure? I mean, what about Cody! Or literally anyone else from the temple! You've known them for way longer."

"I have," Obi-Wan said, "but none of them are my brother."

Anakin stared at the table in… well, shock. Shocked that Obi-Wan finally had the balls to propose. Shocked that he was getting married. Shocked that he wanted Anakin as his best man.

"So?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin raised his gaze. "Do I get to make an embarrassing best man speech?"

"No," Obi-Wan said.

"Yes!" Satine exclaimed at the same time.

Anakin felt his mouth quirk up into a smirk. "Ok," he said, and the smirk turned into a blazing grin. "Oh, Obi-Wan. You are so gonna regret grounding me all those times."

"I'll ground you if you make that speech," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin just smiled and picked up his phone to tell Padmé the good news. "One, you can't. And two, it would still be worth it."

Obi-Wan knew that his Jedi skills would be useful for many things, but he did not expect being able to maneuver his way between multiple half-drunk people to be one of them. Even so, he made his way through the crowded pub with ease, soon finding himself at the standing table he'd been looking for.

"Pardon for interrupting the festivities," Obi-Wan said to the group of three, "but I need to borrow Anakin for a moment."

"Wait. What?" Anakin spun around to look at Obi-Wan. He had changed out of his graduation garb and into a casual black t-shirt. Rex and Padmé had also changed, though Rex was wearing a light army jacket and Padmé was wearing a knee-length dress.

Obi-Wan's eyes glanced over at the three diplomas sitting on the table and smiled. "Just a few minutes," he said to Rex and Padmé, "and I promise you'll have him back."

Anakin groaned. "Obi-Wan, can we do the la—"

"Of course, Obi-Wan. Take all the time you need." Padmé said with a politely amused smile.

"Don't worry, General. I'll keep Padmé company." Rex leaned over to clap Anakin on the back, and though his face was neutral, Obi-Wan knew that it was only Rex's military training that kept him from laughing.

Obi-Wan tugged on Anakin's elbow and began to draw him out of the pub. Somehow, Anakin let him, though not before giving Rex a stare of complete and utter betrayal. "What—Hey! No stealing my girlfriend!" He yelled, to which Rex raised a hand and turned to talk to Padmé.

Obi-Wan had to resist chuckling as he and Anakin made their way through the pub and its mingling patrons. They eventually made it out, and Obi-Wan breathed in the damp Coruscant air. Compared to the stifling heat inside, it was pleasantly inviting.

"Alright, you got me alone," Anakin said as he leaned against the wall beside the pub's back door. "What's up?"

"Two things. First is this." Obi-Wan pulled out a slim card from his pocket and presented it to Anakin. Skeptically, Anakin took it, and his mouth promptly dropped open.

"It will be held a week before the wedding," Obi-Wan said. "So I suggest you start preparing as soon as possible."

"I thought the trials were supposed to happen without warning?" Anakin looked between him and the card, like he couldn't quite trust what he was seeing.

"I decided that it may be better to let you know beforehand, in case you decide to run away again. I'd rather not have to call Padmé and track you down through her."

"Obi-Wan, that was years ago! Do you really think I'm going to—"

Obi-Wan couldn't help himself. A line of chuckles escaped him, because really. When Anakin was looking as surprised and annoyed as he was now, who wouldn't laugh?

"Oh, I see," Anakin droned as Obi-Wan kept laughing. Anakin even rolled his eyes in that dramatic fashion of his. "Wanted to pull one last joke on me before I'm out of your hair forever."

"No, no, nothing like that." Obi-Wan made himself calm down until the last laughs left his voice. "I wanted to see that look on your face."

"The look that I wanna knock you on your ass behind a bar?"

"You look happy."

A brief look of surprise crossed Anakin's face. But then he smiled, tucked the calling card with the time and place of Anakin's Jedi examinations into his jeans, and nodded. "I am," he said. "What's the second thing?"

"The second thing is that I'm proud of you."

This time, Obi-Wan seemed to have startled Anakin into speechlessness. His eyes grew three sizes, but Obi-Wan didn't take the chance to joke about it. Not for this bit.

"You've just graduated university, you've already graduated flight school, you've found a wonderful woman to love, and you've done all this in spite of everything you've been through." Obi-Wan's smile grew. "Anakin, I don't want you 'out of my hair', as you put it. I want you to go live your own extraordinary life, but that doesn't mean I want you out of mine."

"You sure?" Anakin's voice came back to him, and he raised both eyebrows at Obi-Wan. "Because your wedding's next month, and after my speech, I'm pretty sure you're gonna wish you didn't know me."

"Come now, Anakin. When your wedding inevitably comes, I'm going to have to make a speech of my own, so I suggest you keep that in mind."

"Who says I'll make you my best man?"

"Who says I need to be your best man to make a speech?"

Anakin opened his mouth to respond, but the only thing that came out was a string of nonsense syllables. So Obi-Wan continued. "Anakin, I have watched you grow since you were a child. I've watched you overcome challenges I could never imagine facing, and it has been a privilege to see it all. I have seen you grow into an incredible person, and I want to continue seeing you grow. If you let me."

Anakin looked away for a moment. "Uh-huh. And what kind of a person is that?"

"Someone who is a far better man than I am," Obi-Wan said, his heart in every word. "Anakin, you are clever, you are strong, you are wise, and you have light in you. I have faith that you will grow into an even greater person, and I do not doubt that you will become a brilliant Jedi. Perhaps you will even become the greatest of us all."

"Come on, Obi-Wan." Anakin shook his head, but his eyes looked wet. "We both know that wouldn't have happened without you."

"And we both know I wasn't the guardian I should have been."

Anakin huffed. "No. You were way too strict, and you're still crap when it comes to anything emotional." With tear-filled eyes, Anakin smiled. "But you've been the best brother I could ask for."

A warm feeling spread through Obi-Wan's chest. "I should have said this more often, and I know I still don't say it enough, but I am proud of you, Anakin."

Obi-Wan reached up and gripped the base of his brother's neck. "I am proud, and I love you very much."

"I love you too, Obi-Wan," Anakin whispered, and silent tears fell down his face. "And if me saying this means anything, I think Qui-Gon would be proud of you."

With a shuddering breath, Obi-Wan closed his eyes. A moment passed, and once he had collected himself, he nodded his head.

"It does, Anakin," he said quietly. "It very much does."

"You're up," Padmé whispered to Anakin as the crowd around them cheered and gossiped. "You know it's a bad idea to keep those two waiting."

Anakin straightened his jacket and adjusted his hair—Force, it was taking a while to adjust to no longer having his padawan braid there. Even after Obi-Wan had chopped it off at the end of Anakin's exam, Anakin half-expected it to reappear one day. But he had other things to focus on right now.

"You are right as always, my love." Anakin grinned and brought Padmé's hand to his lips. "Wish me luck."

Padmé chuckled. In her long red dress, she was as gorgeous as ever, and even just looking at her like this made Anakin's heart skip a beat. "I doubt you of all people need it. But just in case, good luck."

Anakin grinned and winked at her. Squeezing Padmé's hand once more, Anakin raised himself from the table. Next to him, Obi-Wan, who had been busy saying who-knows-what cheesy nonsense to Satine, looked over, but Anakin was already making his way around the table. By the time the groom could say something, Anakin was already clinking his champagne glass.

"Everyone, if I may have your attention!" Anakin called from in front of the head table. The crowd around them, most of whom were either experienced members of the temple or members of the military, settled down almost immediately. Even Boba Fett, the youngest in the Fett clan, quieted down amidst the four huge tables that Obi-Wan had to organize just to fit the whole family.

"In case you haven't been told this yet, Satine has given me permission to make the most embarrassing best man speech ever to be read out loud." Anakin turned back to the head table. From his tuxedo's pocket, Anakin pulled out a slightly crumpled-up piece of paper and waved it at the groom. "So Obi-Wan, unless you want to make your newly-wed wife angry, you may as well let me read this."

Obi-Wan, clad in a cream-white suit, sighed in his seat. "I have, at last, resigned myself to this. Do your worst, Anakin."

"Happily, Master." Anakin winked, and Obi-Wan sighed again. Satine took her husband's hand, and that made Obi-Wan's shoulders relax. But only a little.

Anakin looked over at the gathered crowd, unfolded the paper with a single hand, and started to read. "So, everyone here knows Obi-Wan, but I bet that none of you know the charm of living with him while you're going through puberty."

Obi-Wan buried his face in his hand and groaned. Loud. Everyone around him, including Satine, laughed, so Anakin plowed on.

"Here's the thing about Obi-Wan. You do anything, even the tiniest little thing, that goes against the rules, you're grounded. And, spoiler alert, I got grounded a lot." The crowd, almost all of whom knew Anakin, laughed. "I got grounded for forgetting to unload the dishwasher. I got grounded for not locking the garage. I even got grounded for putting on a really terrible accent and calling him a 'stuck-up prick'."

"You grounded him for that?" Satine exclaimed, to which Obi-Wan groaned again.

"So you may be wondering, what's the big deal?" Anakin continued. "You're grounded, so you just stay in your room and shake it off, right? Well, with Obi-Wan, he takes the opportunity to turn this into a lecture. He does this thing where he starts really fired up and passionate about the thing, talks for about an hour, and by the time he's finished, you've forgotten what he was even talking about.

"Really! One time I got grounded and was ordered to clean the kitchen, so I go do it. Then Obi-Wan comes in, sees a perfectly spotless kitchen, and then yells at me for using his Jedi robe to wipe off the stove's grease stains." Everyone, with the notable exception of a glaring Master Windu, laughed. "Obi-Wan then starts lecturing me about respecting other people's property, and by the time the lecture was over, he was droning on about 'the impressive might' of migratory birds."

Anakin glanced back at Obi-Wan, and he was more than happy to see that his brother's face had turned as red as his hair. Even Satine had betrayed him by chuckling into her hand.

"So yeah, that's Obi-Wan. And that's the person who was in charge of raising me for most of my life." Anakin huffed. "But if I gotta be honest, it could've been way, waaay worse. Because even though he was a pain in the ass most of the time, everything he did was because he cared."

Obi-Wan raised his head from his hand and looked over at Anakin. He looked a little surprised, and Anakin couldn't blame him. He'd been half-tempted to rag on Obi-Wan for the whole speech, but today was the day he finally married the love of his life, and Anakin figured that his brother deserved something more than that. At least for today.

Anakin grinned. "He's an ass about it, but he cares. I know I was saying that I got grounded for a lot of dumb things, but actually, I did a lot of dumb stuff, too. I was angry, I was selfish, and I made a lot of mistakes. A lot of mistakes that would've made most people give up on me. Honestly, I would've given up on me… But Obi-Wan didn't."

The embarrassment on Obi-Wan's face faded away. He was listening to Anakin carefully, and even though he was still holding Satine's hand, he was focused on Anakin. That determined focus made Anakin smile.

"I know I wouldn't be who I am if it weren't for him. He took me under his wing and raised me. He didn't have to, but he did. He changed nearly everything about his life just to do that. He did that, because when Obi-Wan's committed to something, he'll do whatever it takes to see it through. Whether that means saber practice until three am, driving lessons that turn into week-long road trips, or spending weeks tracking down a brat who ran away from home, he'll do it. I know he'll do that, because he's done that for me."

Anakin met Obi-Wan's gaze. His brother's eyes were glassy, but they weren't sad.

Somehow, they looked happy.

Anakin chuckled, and before Obi-Wan could interrupt him, went back to his speech. "So when I say that Satine deserves Obi-Wan, I want everyone to understand that that is the highest compliment I can give. To anyone other than my girlfriend, of course." Anakin gave Padmé a quick wink, and she just graciously rolled her eyes at him.

"Satine, when you came back into this dumbass's life eight years ago, I never could've guessed how good you'd be for him," Anakin said to his new sister-in-law, to which Satine smiled and tried to not chuckle. "You kept him sane when I was a teenager, you helped him understand that emotions are things he actually has to deal with, and you keep his huge ego in check. Force, you're probably the only one here who can consistently beat him in an argument!"

A round of heavy laughter passed through the entire crowd, and now it was Satine's turn to flush red.

"Right?" Anakin smiled at Satine. "But more than anything, you make him happy, Satine. You do, and that's all I can ask from you. So take care of him for me, will ya?"

Satine smiled back and nodded deeply. "It will be my pleasure, Anakin."

Anakin grinned and lifted his glass to the crowd around them. "To the bride and groom!"

"To the bride and groom!" The room cheered with their glasses raised high.

Anakin downed the last of his champagne. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his brother raise himself out of his seat. With a watery smile on his face, Obi-Wan walked around the head table and pulled Anakin into the tightest hug he'd ever gotten from the man. Anakin laughed and hugged him back, even if it did make his ribs creak in his chest.

"Thank you, Anakin," Obi-Wan whispered. "You have no idea how much that meant to me."

Anakin chuckled. "I should be thanking you, Obi-Wan."

His brother pulled away and furrowed his eyebrows at Anakin. "For what?" He asked.

There were so many things Anakin could say. So many moments he could thank Obi-Wan for. But the more Anakin thought about what to say, the more he realized that there was too much of his life that had been shaped by Obi-Wan. There was so much that even the longest speech in the world wouldn't begin to cover it all.

And really, there was only one thing he could say, so Anakin said it as simply and honestly as he had ever said anything.

"Just… For everything."